Loki's kin
by 8. B. R. Adford
Summary: Loki's daughter Hel will do anything for the approval of her father and has decided to conquer Midgard for him. But she hasn't been to Midgard since she liberated the souls of the Holocaust victims and ran into a certain Red, White, and Blue superhero. Will she destroy everything to please her father or will she change her ways and assist the Avengers against him. Bruce/OC
1. Prologue, Past and Present

**So I have absolutely no idea of how this story will be recieved or even if there is another one like it... I am trying to be original but this storyline seems so obvious that I was nervous to even put it up...**

**Basically Loki's daughter Hel, knew Steve in WWII but doesn't know he's back and goes to conquer Midgard to show her father she's worth something but comes up against the avengers. All that's put up right now is the Prologue of the Past because I don't want to invest to much into it if no one is interested. **

**I am using Hel from old Norse Myths not from Marvel Universe because I don't like Marvel Hel she's way too two dimensional**

**I am also going more with Captain Amerca timeline from the comics rather than the movie because in the movie it has Captain America set up in Italy in like 1942 so he never came in contact with the Concentration Camps but it is known that Captain America and Wolverine saved Magneto from the camps so that storyline doesn't make sense. It was Captain America that inspired Magneto to team up with Xavier and create the X-men so ya' know...that's kindof important..**

**Which leads into wolverine...yup that's right...I put James and Victor in there which I guess is more X-men Origins: Wolverine Movie than Marvel Comic Universe because in most of the comics Victor and James aren' t brothers and aren't fighting together. I am also not delving into the fact that originally they had also sent out Wolverine to capture and detain Bruce Banner.**

**Everything is so interlaced it's insane...so I'm just taking bits and pieces from here and there and combining them for what I believe to be the most entertaining...if you want another chapter let me know and I can get started on it...I just wanna make sure it's worth the effort.**

**So...here it is...**

* * *

"I do not wish to go," the young girl cried, pulling at her arm that was currently being gripped tightly by one of the Asgardians, "It is my desire to go back to mother."

"I do not care of your desires beast," the Asgardian grumbled, "I am simply following the order of Odin."

"May I see father?" the girl asked sadly, desperately.

"He is busy," the Asgardian guard stated through gritted teeth, "Not that you have any business in knowing such a thing."

"I wish to return to my home in Jötunheimr," the girl stated, attempting to drag her feet and slow the man pulling her along.

"Stop your childish behavior," the man growled, pulling at her arm harder, "You will see the All-father and you will be silent in his presence." It didn't take long to get her to Asgard where Odin stood with her brothers, his arms crossed, eye staring her down.

"Hel," the god stated, studying her.

"All-father," she answered in awe…her brothers were here as well? Why would such a thing be necessary? She was suddenly cuffed in the head by the fist of her Asgardian guard.

"What did I say with regards to talking," the man stated angrily, earning a growl from the wolf whom had his muzzle tied to avoid any mishaps regarding his teeth.

"That will not be necessary Abjörn," Odin said, waving dismissively to the guard, "She is the child of Loki and therefore a member of my family…and an Asgardian."

The girl smiled at that, she knew what bravery it took to claim her as family. She was frightening, that much was certain. Her body seemed to be split down the center as the left side of her entire body was black and gave the illusion of decay while the right side seemed as pale and regal as that of her father. She had been bore not long ago and was already being taken from her home due to the fear that she caused.

"What is that?" a voice asked, laced with disgust.

"This, my son, is the child of your brother," Odin stated motioning to the wolf, the serpent and the decaying child.

"These are the children of my brother?" the blonde man asked in awe and disillusionment, "They are not children but hideous beast creatures."

The girl's head dropped in shame and how her new Uncle apparently saw her. She was a disgrace, it was no wonder her father and mother did not wish to see her and left it in the fate of Odin's decision alone. She looked up and attempted to show a brave face, glancing at Jörmungandr and Fenrir in hopes that they would provide support.

"What are your plans with them father?" the large blonde man asked curiously.

"Jörmungandr and Fenrir will have their places," stated the all-father cryptically, "However, Hel will be bestowed the realm of Niflheim."

"An entire realm?" the young god asked in disbelief.

"Yes my son," Odin replied, "It is necessary for the future."

"I do not see how," the blonde God sighed, "However I will trust your judgment father." She noticed by the young blonde's stance that his previous statement had been a lie.

"Will I see mother or father before my departure?" Hel asked anxiously, nervously.

"I am afraid that will be impossible," Odin stated, "Both Loki and Angrboða are busy and have no need for visual evidence of your departure."

'It is not for them' the girl thought sadly, 'it's for me.'

* * *

Auschwitz-Birkenau, Oświęcim, Poland

"Teraz możesz być spokojna (Now you may be at peace)," the woman in black stated, hovering over the elderly woman who was struggling to breath against the wooden slab that had been her bed for months.

"Czy zobaczę moją rodzinę (Will I see my family)?" the woman asked curiously, desperately.

"Będziesz (You will)," the cloaked lady responded, placing her hand onto the woman's arm and watching as the skin blackened, instantly killing her before her entire body began to turn black and decay.

The lady in the cloak stood, turning to the next bunk, this one holding a small malnutritouned boy, an infected wound spreading across his leg and making it impossible for him to walk and therefore survive. She sighed sadly, not particularly wanting to send him to Hel but knowing that it was better that he went now rather than later, when he would be in more pain. She moved to the bed and he looked up at her with solomn eyes, knowing what was coming. She looked at him and he smiled, holding his hand out for her silently. She gave him a calming smile and touched his hand...killing him instantly, his body blackening from the touch.

She moved slowly from him as a man burst into the housing annex. She stood and turned suddenly, her Asgardian form still in place to allow her to blend in with the Midgardians.

"Was machst du hier (What are you doing here)?" a guard questioned, drawing his gun. He pointed it at her before glancing at the charred bodies on the bunks, 9 in total. She noticed his gun waver and she couldn't help but smile a bit. She shredded her Asgardian appearance, the woman that the victims saw was a beautiful black haired, fair skinned model, while the woman that the guard was now watching show itself was a frightening beast towering 10 feet tall, scrawny and witch-like with the left side of her body completely blackened and charred, her clothes in tatters.

"Hexe," the man shouted nervously, the woman simply tilting her head to look at him curiously. This man was sending people into gas chambers and burning them alive but he was scared of her.

"Not a witch," she responded smiling, "Der Sensenmann (the Grim Reaper)." Now he was even more scared. He shot his gun at her but she simply absorbed the bullet before spitting it out into her hand. How can the one who is master of the dead be killed? This man really was not thinking about this very well.

"What was that?" they heard a man shout alarmed, banging on the doors of the living quarters angrily. She knew he would be in at any moment and she changed her appearance to one less terrifying, the combination of Asgardian and Midgardian.

The man who had been banging outside began to shoot through the wood repeatedly before finally being able to bust it down; storming into the living quarters with his gun drawn.

The guard turned from the woman before pointing it at the man…now men who had found their way into the annex. The women took advantage and moved on the guard who now had his back to her, touching his face with her left hand and watching and he slumped to the ground face first.

"What did you do to him?" the leader asked. She assumed he was the leader due to the fact that he was wearing a bright red, white, and blue outfit and carried a shield with a star on it.

"Killed him," she answered honestly with a shrug before making her way past them.

"Who are you?" another one asked curiously.

"My name is Helen," she responded, turning back to them and sticking out her right hand. The boys seemed nervous to shake it but the leader seemed to take it in stride and stuck out his hand to grasp hers,

"Captain Rogers."

"Captain," Helen replied with a curt nod. Suddenly her ears perked up and she turned to look out the door again.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"An attack," she answered, releasing his hand and moving to face whatever was coming in their direction.

"Sie alle töten (Kill them all)," she heard someone scream.

"What?" a large man with a beard grumbled confused.

"They know you are here," she answered, "They want us all dead."

"Great," Captain Rogers said with a smile, cocking his gun, "I was hoping for a little fight."

* * *

Captain Rogers, his men, and herself had made it out of the camp with more than their fair share of casualties, and not once did she loose her disguise. She had to admit she was proud of herself, but knew the only reason for an involuntary loss of illusion was sadness and sadness was something that she had found herself typically able to control. The killing of killers however, she found fun and exhilarating, not even within the realm of sad.

The group sat at the bar guzzling drinks, the Rogers man not even bothering. Helen herself sat in the corner of the room uncomfortable with the happiness the room seemed to share, it seemed that the Rogers man noticed this and came to join her.

"Not having fun?" he asked curiously, eyeing her.

"I am not one to relish in the destruction of my own design."

"Well you can't really count the killing of Nazis as destruction."

"I count the loss of any life as destruction," she replied, "It is another soul on its Hel journey."

"Well they deserve to go to Hell," Rogers stated with a curt nod, "I hope they burn down there." Helen raised an eyebrow at that.

"Why would you assume that Hel has fire?" she asked curiously, knowing full well that it didn't.

"Stories of the Bible, ma'am," he told her. She eyed him confused, what was this Bible, and what was the point of it when it was clearly giving out incorrect information.

"What if I told you that those stories were just that…stories," Helen mentioned casually, fingering the glass in front of her. She found this Rogers fellow quite interesting.

"There's no way to know that," Rogers replied defiantly, "You have to have faith."

"Faith is for those who fear what they do not know," Helen answered.

"That may be," Rogers agreed, "But everyone fears something…and most of the time, that something is unknown." She nodded her head in agreement,

"You are very wise Captain Rogers," she told him, now looking down to swirl the drink in her hands, "It is a pity that you will go to Valhalla at the time of your death and not join me in Hel."

"You can call me Steve," the man stated, setting his hand on her arm to stop the swirling of the liquid. He was lucky that she had been controlling her power or he would now have been dead by the sudden movement, "And just because you killed someone doesn't mean you're going to hell."

"While that may be true," Helen responded, looking up at him with a smile, "I do not believe it is possible for my eternal home to be anything other than the Hel Halls of Niflheim."

"I'm afraid I don't know what Niflheim is?" he responded confused.

"It does not make a difference," she told him before nodding in the direction of a woman who had just entered the area and seemed to be looking for someone…probably him, "It appears the woman who holds your heart has arrived." He looked up confused by that, but quickly realized her indication and smiled.

"Thanks, you know you're a surprisingly good fighter. You're welcome to join us tomorrow."

"I'm afraid I have many things to do in the morrow but I shall be around and if you should need me you must simply think such thoughts and I shall come."

* * *

Helen stood watching as a group of Canadians ran at a group of Hydra soldiers who had taken up a residence in a small town. She had traveled there to collect some of the teen girls that were being savagely beaten and raped…and would soon be disposed of; 90% had no chance of recovery. She had just finished with the last of those who could not be saved and had removed herself from a house as she watched a bunch of screaming men run at the Hydra soldiers.

"Kill 'em all," a man with tight reddish brown beard shouted, "I wanna watch 'em all burn."

The Hydra men seemed unfazed by her appearance in the town and ran past her with no regard as they ran at the men shooting wildly. Helen smiled, touching men as they past and watching them drop around her like flies. When the men had reached her and discovered her collection she noticed the black haired one with mutton chops smile,

"Nice job."

"Thank you," she said smiling before, expending her hand to shake.

"That gonna do the same to me as it did them," he asked curiously, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Not unless I need such a thing to be the case," she responded, "Helen."

"James Howlett," he responded, "But everyone calls me Jim."

"And I," the man who had previously shouted began, "am Victor…Victor Creed."

"It is nice to meet you James…Victor," she responded, nodding to each in turn. They heard a gunshot but could not move away in time as it went through the side of Jim's jaw and lodged itself into Helen's eye. Victor had already run at the man and literally torn him apart, laughing manically to himself while James had turned to the woman who had received the bullet.

Helen watched as James' face quickly healed from the effect of the through bullet and smiled at his surprised look as her eye absorbed the bullet and she spit the metal into her hand. She said nothing and simply placed the saliva covered trinket into his palm, closing his hand around it. "There is nothing left of this village."

Victor had joined James who continued to glance between the bullet and the woman.

"And what does that mean?" one of the enlisted Canadian soldiers asked annoyed, not trusting the woman who had mysteriously appeared.

"It means that I know of a group of soldiers who are in need of assistance."

"And how would you know that?" Victor asked a bit disbelieving.

"I know a great many things," she answered, tapping her head and turning away.

"I don't know," one man stated nervously, "She could be leading us into an ambush."

"Are you scared of fighting a group with the upper hand?" James asked, still fascinated by the woman. He didn't want to leave it like this…he needed to know how she was so similar to himself and Victor and if she knew the origin of these abilities.

"I say we go," Victor agreed, for completely different reasons; his having to do with killing as many men as he could get his hands on.

"Well we better hurry," one man shouted, looking toward her direction, "She's already up and over the hill." The men turned to look where the man was pointing and collected their weapons, attempting to keep up with her.

* * *

"We're in over our heads," Bucky sighed, leaping back as another enemy solider lunged for him.

"Where did you say that woman with the power to kill people by touching them went?" Jim asked curiously, shooting a man in the forehead who had aimed at Tim.

"Said she'd come if we needed her but that she was busy," Steve mentioned casually, cuffing one of the enemies in the head with his shield.

"Well guess what," Gabe shouted, stabbing one, "We need her."

"And she has arrived," Helen responded, coming up the hill with the group of Canadian soldiers.

"It's great to see you again," Steve smiled, as she walked to him, touching the face of the men who attempted to get in her way. He held out his hand for her but she shook her head,

"Now would not be a suggested occurrence for the hand shaking practice to take effect." Steve nodded as she sighed, looking out over the ranks.

"I am tempted to rid us of this enemy quickly but hold restraint for your mortal well-being."

"Well don't do anything on account of my well-being," Steve told her, flashing his smile before running to fight alongside his Canadian counterparts.

The Hydra and Nazi soldiers continued to shoot and stab their way through their enemy; Victor, James, and Steve taking the first wave.

* * *

"Wow, your pretty lucky," Steve said smiling at James as the remaining team had reconvened at the bar from the night before.

"Thanks," James replied, turning to watch his brother attempt to flirt his way with one of the German Barmaids, "They say that we can fight through just about anything."

"Yeah, I've never seen a man live through so many close calls," Steve jested, "Other than me of course." James laughed before turning back to his drink as Helen came up to the two men.

"Hey," Steve waved, "Coming over to finally have a drink."

"I am afraid the reason I am here is not joyous and will not become so due to the consumption of inhibitors."

"Wow," James said raising an eyebrow, and wiping his mouth on his hand, "Didn't realize the bawd was such a downer."

"She's a bit of an acquired taste," Steve responded.

"I am afraid that I must depart back to Neflheim," she told the two bowing her head.

"Where?" James asked confused.

"I don't know," Steve responded, shrugging his shoulders. They looked at the woman who pulled her cloak around herself like a vampire and vanished in a flash of fog.

"I must be really drunk," James stated in utter awe.

"I wish I could have the same excuse," Steve muttered, wide-eyed.

* * *

Helen…Hel did not go back to Midgard after that, she did not need to, as no conflict had stirred more casualties since. She was notified that Steve Rogers had been put into the Odin Sleep during a crash which saddened her but she knew he would awaken when he was needed. Other than that, Hel simply stayed in her fortress and collected the souls hoping that her father would visit…she would do anything to please her father.

"Oh the boredom I am forced to endure is likely worse than death I fear," Hel mumbled to herself, an elbow on the armrest so the hand can cradle her face while the other hand drums away on the other armrest's hard surface. How many nights has she been forced to endure this solitude, hoping that her high ranking position would please father when it undoubtedly didn't.

She could feel his presence looming in the realm of Niflheim but he has not approached her as of yet and as he remains hidden from Heimdall, he too remains hidden from her. The wait is worse than anything she can remember; the idea of him arriving to see her as he so rarely does. Hel glanced down at herself and ensured that her hideous and intimidating form is fully revealed as it is the only form he and the other Asgardians know of.

"Hel," she hears the man shout as she looks up to see a small shadow from the doorway. She attempts to hide the excitement that she feels and straightens to show the respect that he deserves, "Have you been growing our Army in preparation for Ragnarok?"

"Of course father," she replies with the slight bow of her head.

He seems to not hear her as he continues rambling, seemingly to himself, "After the troubling result of the Midgardian conflict I need to increase the numbers in my favor."

"Midgardian conflict?" she questions confused, she barely looked in on Midgardian conflicts due to the sheer volume…she received their dead none the less, what does it matter how they die? She chose to ignore the few instances when she did care…instances resulting in a large percentage of young children coming to her. They were always so scared; like she had been when she had been banished to this realm.

"Some could deem it war but I will not see it as such until I succeed."

"The war was brought about at your hand father?" Hel questioned curiously.

"Those ridiculous Midgardians will be enslaved by me…by this I give my word," he stated angrily.

"I would be more than willing to provide my assistance father," she told him eagerly, "Provide you with the dead you would need to conquer the land of mortals."

"If I need assistance…which I do not…I would call upon your brothers," he stated dismissively, "You need to remain here in Hel and add ranks."

"Yes father," she replied with a bow, "As you wish."

"I shall now go back to Asgard. They will soon notice that I have gone."

"Of what do you mean?"

"I am currently a prisoner of the Asgardians," he stated, "Thor has arrested me."

"Thor…your brother Thor?" she asked in disbelief standing and towering over everything…her current form rising to over 10 feet tall in the enormous fortress.

"He is not my brother," her father growled, "And it will be that he shall perish and join the ranks in Hel at my hand."

"When that day comes I will ensure that his time here be most unaccommodating."

"I shall now take my leave. Contact me with any news that I can use to my advantage."

"As you wish father," she replied, watching him fade away into nothingness.

Hel sighed, leaning over the throne exhausted, father always did this to her with his visits…it was simply so draining and it seemed that he barely cared of her existence…that she had absolutely nothing to contribute that would be of use for him.

"My queen," her servant Svel mumbled out nervously, forcing her to sigh exasperated,

"No one is here Servant Svel."

"Oh…" he sputtered, growing instantly more open and hyper, "Loki left; good, he always makes you feel funny."

"What of it Svel…please state your purpose and go on with the day," she replied aggravated.

"You should conquer Midgard," he suggested, "Walk among them in your Asgardian form and take over from the inside."

"How do you know of my Asgardian form," she growled out annoyed, no one was supposed to know of her Asgardian form.

"I once saw you sleeping in the throne and your Monstrous form slipped away to reveal your true self…your beautiful self."

"I do not have time for this Servant Svel," she sighed annoyed with a quick roll of the eyes, "The All-father would know of my status on Midgard and have me imprisoned as my father has."

"But All-father Odin doesn't know of you Asgardian form does he?"

"It is impossible to know such a thing."

"Besides we both know that Odin can't touch you…you still have Baldr."

"True," she stated, not remembering the little tidbit but finding it very useful.

"But who would control the gates of Hel and ensure that the lost souls do not escape?"

"The souls don't even want to escape," Svel reasoned, "The souls enjoy their time here, it is not how many of them had perceived Hel to be. To many it is like Heaven."

"Hel is not supposed to be a terrible place Svel, despite what many believe."

"You could go up, there take over, give it to Loki and be back with no one being the wiser."

"Perhaps you are right Servant Svel," she began actually pondering the thought.

"Of course I am right my queen."

"Then it is decided," Hel replied standing from her throne and walking down the enormous steps, "I shall journey to Midgard in my Asgardian form and take over their realm from within."

* * *

**Okay so she was talking to the old woman in Polish but the rest was in German... the polish translation was literally 'Now you can be calm' but it means the same thing and she says things in the old world accent like Thor so ya know.**

**Oh and Thor was kindof a dick because you gotta remember before Thor was banished he was kindof brash and douchey...so I couldn't really cut that out 100% but he'll be nicer in the actual story...you gotta remember that old stuff from when she was little was probably in like the early 1200's so be was still probably pretty douchey and full of himself**


	2. Arrival

**So here is the chapter and I'm not really that happy with it but I felt like I needed to get something out...its more of just a filler chapter until they meet back up again... I also wasn't really super happy with her job but I needed her to have a job where Steve would see her without being able to talk to her so it is what it is.  
**

* * *

Hel hit the roof of the house with a thud; rolling to the edge, and landing on the ground. She groaned and rolled to her side in pain from the fall. She was thankful that she had her own way of traveling due to the fact that the bi-frost had been destroyed and that no one would allow a child of Loki to posess the Tesseract but her remembrance of the geography of Midgard was no longer accurate. The last time she had arrived in this location better known as America it had been during the Civil War and prior to that had been the Small Pox infestation of the Native Americans. Both times there had not been houses in her transport spot. She sighed and stood, pausing to dust herself off and checking to ensure that her disguise was still active.

"Are you alright?" a man asked, running toward her and putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort. She turned to look at him; glad she had been prepared before answering,

"Yes, I think so." She had been practicing her word usage to appear less conspicuous and hoped that her lessons would work. She glanced around at the cluster of houses that gave off the illusion of a village within a village. Servant Svel had told her it was called a Cold-u-sack or something to that effect, mortals had strange names for things. The man's pick-up truck sat discarded on the road, the door open and motor running.

"You took quite a fall; this your house?"

"No, I fell…" she stated, pointing her finger upward before realizing that whatever she would say to finish that sentence would sound stupid.

"From where, the sky?" he asked curiously, some sarcasm sneaking its way in.

"I live in New York City," she replied, diverting the question quickly, "Can you tell me if it is still east?"

"Oh…um yeah; it's still east," he responded with a furrowed brow, pointing toward the direction he was most likely indicating to be east, "Do you need a ride or anything?"

"No I am able to transport myself," she responded, turning and walking away from him quickly. She found an area outside of the village of houses that seemed to be abandoned. Once she was covered by the trees she smiled and transported herself east.

* * *

She looked up in awe at the signage in time square. These moving pictures were incredible, how were they able to maneuver them on such a large scale and in such realistic colors? She continued to walk, her eyes no longer on the sidewalk as she looked at the buildings, all of which had grown in size since her last visit.

"Oof," she muttered bumping into someone…she really did need to pay attention to where she was going and stop staring at the metal contraptions.

"Sorry," a man muttered, his sunglasses blocking his face. He wore simple blue jeans and a cow skin jacket...Svel had informed her they call it leather. The man seemed as though he had a specific purpose; well he and his woman friend. She seemed aggravated by the delay the accident had caused, turning to the man in the sunglasses,

"Clint we have to get over there."

"Alright," he stated to her before turning back to Hel, "Sorry again." Then it seemed that he was gone and she was back to giving the city a once over.

She stopped in front of an apartment complex with a woman she had determined to be dying within days of cancer. She was buzzed in quickly with her claim as a nurse coming to check up on her and within moments had put the woman to rest. She secured the woman's charred and blackened body in a black dressing bag and then set it carefully in the closet; she suspected that it wouldn't be long before the woman got an appropriate funeral.

She had quickly determined on her city walk that she would need a job with which she would be able to appear on those giant video advertisements; she needed to be recognized and famous. Servant Svel had told her lessons on who was deemed important in society now...it was no longer the Generals and soldiers but the celebrities and reality stars. There was apparently even a mysterious group of famous young people whose names were not real...one of which was named Snooki. She would become like this Snooki and use her fame and power to influence the last known as America and once they were on her side she would be able to take over all of Midgard and give it to her father for Yule.

* * *

"We're already late and you stopped to chat with that black haired woman," Natasha grumbled, speed walking through the halls of Stark Tower.

"I bumped her," Clint responded, innocently, "I was just apologizing for running into her."

"She ran into you because she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing," Natasha countered, forcing open the large door, the SHIELD emblem splitting in half as she did so.

"Barton, Romanoff, nice of you to join us," Fury grumbled out annoyed, standing near the round table full of Avengers.

"Ah come on they lost track of time during their date, you gotta let the kids have some fun," Tony jested with a wave of his arm.

"It was not a date it was reconnaissance," Natasha grumbled.

"And we didn't find anything at the site," Clint added.

"All the evidence showed that there should be something there," Fury contradicted.

"Um, excuse me," Tony stated, waving his hand to bring attention to himself, "But what is going on and why am I not directly involved."

"Its need to know," Fury replied.

"I think we need to know," Steve responded, his brows furrowing.

"Agreed," Bruce added.

Fury grumbled something to himself before addressing the group, "We found a spike in energy."

"Meaning?" Steve asked curiously.

"The spike resembled the signature let of by Thor…and Loki."

"So you're saying Thor's back?" Steve asked, not comfortable with the lack of direct responses.

"That's just it…it isn't Thor," Fury stated crossing his arms.

"Loki then," Tony stated, annoyed at the thought that he was back, he'd only just gotten the Tower back in working order.

"No," Fury responded, causing them all to look up in interest, "It's a signature that we've never seen before; its only resemblance to anything we can find is something that Howard Stark had recorded a long time ago."

"I'll be needing a copy of that," Tony stated, grabbing his drink of the table, leaving a tiny ring around the DI of Division on the SHIELD logo printed on the table.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Fury responded, turning his attention back to Natasha and Clint, "So do you have anything worthwhile to report."

"Not much," Clint stated, "There was a guy we found nearby who was wandering around in the woods looking for the model that fell off the roof of the house."

"Excuse me?" Tony asked confused, interest peaked by the word model.

"Apparently," Natasha contributed, glancing at Clint as though he made no sense at all…which he hadn't, "A man had watched a woman fall from the roof of one of the houses in the area. She asked if New York was still in the east then she wandered into the woods. A couple weeks later, he realized she was some model or something and he's been back there everyday hoping to see her again. By that point in his statement though, he'd gotten a bit erratic."

"Can you trust what he told you," Fury pressed.

"I wouldn't," Clint responded.

"He said he didn't know she was a model til weeks later," Bruce asked wanting to have everything completely clear, "So this energy signature was from almost a month ago."

"That is correct but we weren't able to get a signature on it until now. It's a different from anything the bi-frost or the tesseract gave off."

"Then how do we know it even came from Asgard?" Bruce asked now realizing the flaw in logic.

"We don't know that it did," Fury growled cryptically.

"I feel like we're not going to be getting any answers during this meeting," Steve grumbled.

"Agreed," Bruce muttered, leaning on his arm.

"Well I'm feeling Kimchi," Tony suddenly stated, standing from his chair, downing what was left of the alcohol in the glass, and slamming it into the table, "So I think this meeting's adjourned."

"Stark," Commander Fury yelled angrily, "Stark." Tony didn't know if Fury had said anything else due to the lovely fact that the sound proof doors shut themselves behind him.

Tony stood in the elevator to take him down before talking to his favorite computer, "Jarvis?"

"Yes sir."

"I need you to get me a copy of that signature Fury's so attached to."

"Anything else sir?"

"I also want whatever it was my dad recorded and what he thought it was."

"I will do my best sir."

He had made it about halfway to the ground floor when the elevator door opened to reveal Steve glaring daggers at the man. "You shouldn't have left in the middle of the meeting," Steve chastised stepping into the elevator with him.

"The meeting was over," Tony countered.

"No it wasn't," Steve responded.

"Well since Fury still doesn't technically consider me an 'Avenger', I'd say I overstayed my welcome, despite the fact that the entire building is in fact mine."

"He ended the meeting on account of you storming out," Steve informed him.

"Well see; meeting over," Tony remarked before eyeing the man, "How did you manage to get halfway down the building and beat the elevator?"

"I took the stairs," Steve stated as though it were obvious, "Maybe you should try it sometime."

"Don't need to," Tony remarked dismissively, "My brain burns all the calories I intake since it's so big."

"I think your confusing your brain and your ego." Steve stated, the elevator opening on the ground floor to reveal a four story statue of Anthony Stark holding the earth. Tony looked at what the older man was indicating.

He liked it. It wasn't quite as big as Victor VonDoom's but he thought it did the job, suddenly remembering that Victor VonDoom was insane and covered in metal…oh, "Hmm, maybe you're right." Tony smirked at the Captain and led the way out into the streets of New York.

* * *

Hel couldn't wait until her father took control of this pathetic planet full of these pathetic humans. 'They're like a bunch of little ants' she thought to herself, smiling at the thought of squashing them with her fur boots. How fun it would be to watch them scurry knowing full well they would never get away. She would let one live if only for the humor of watching him run to the next colony with the news so that they would be frightened in time for her arrival. She began to observe the people on the crowded city street, contemplating which one she would let live. She had moved across two city blocks and chosen the man she would inform when she spotted him; the man with the sign.

"The end is near," the man shouted, a scruffy beard donning his face. Who was this man; and how could he know this? "They're coming. They're coming to kill us all," the man yelled out desperately. She observed the people around him. They must be scared, yes. This man was telling them of their fate and they must be…the people just seemed to walk around him. They didn't even pay him mind. What was happening? Were these Midgardians not afraid of being enslaved or murdered? Did they know Hel's realm was not as bad as the Bible hell? She had researched it; Bible Hell was much worse, well if it had actually existed, which it didn't.

She moved to the man with the white sign and paused in front of him, waiting impatiently for him to notice her presence. She smiled when he muted his ranting and stared at her curiously. "The end is near," he told her as though it were a secret.

"I know," she responded, grinning widely.

His eyes suddenly went wide in surprise as words began to tumble from his mouth, "It will be brought upon by your hand."

"That is correct," she nodded.

"Demon," he screamed suddenly, causing her to step back and cover her ears. She had not expected his voice to be so loud so quickly.

She sneered at the man aggravated, 'What an annoyance.'

"Demon," he shouted again, waving the stick and pointing at her accusingly, "It is Satan who has come for our souls." Annoyed with the man's lack of credibility in striking fear in the general public, she tapped him on the shoulder as she made her way past him. He dropped to the ground instantly, blackened and charred. She noticed a couple of people begin to take notice as she made her way to toward Times Square, she didn't have time for their stupidity.

She reached the square and gazed at the signs noticing herself on one of the many billboards, she was already on her way of being a public figure; within no time she would have a name that people would recognize; after that she would begin guiding the people's choices, and soon simply dictating them.

'Uh' she sighed to herself, 'What a ridiculous ad.' It was for something called anti-wrinkle crème which she found very obnoxious; one because she didn't have wrinkles as she lived forever which showed that the ad was not accurate, and two because the way she saw it, wrinkles showed wisdom, only a stupid Midgardian would want to appear less wise.

* * *

"Where is this place that sells…what was it?" Steve asked curiously.

"Kimchi," Tony responded, "And I think it's around this corner here."

"What is Kimchi?" Steve questioned aloud.

"Hell if I know," Tony smirked.

"If you don't know what is it, why are we going to buy it?" Steve mentioned.

"Why not?" Tony countered; Capt. Rogers not having an adequate comeback to Tony's logic.

The boys rounded the corner and it took Tony a minute to realize that Steve was no longer walking beside him. The man froze and turned to spot Steve staring hard at one of the many billboards in the area, "Cap…hey Cap…you alright?"

"That woman, I know her," he stated in complete shock.

"I doubt it," Tony remarked, coming to stand behind the man to see whatever it was the veteran had spotted. "That woman with the black hair?"

"Helen," Steve corrected.

"Who?"

"Helen," he repeated, almost urgently.

"Well it's great that you know a model, I know hundreds but that's not really the point," Tony chastised, "We're going to get Kimchi."

"I don't care about Kimchi Tony," Steve sighed, "I haven't seen Helen in a long time; I need to talk to her."

"How long is a long time?" Tony asked curiously.

"World War two," Steve replied, his eyes no longer blinking. Tony's eyes practically bulged and he moved to stand in front of the lost soldier.

"World War two," Tony repeated in disbelief, "The woman in the picture is in her early twenties and your saying that you knew her in World War two." Tony grabbed the man's shoulders and shook him, "You were asleep for 70 years man, get a grip."

"I need to find her," Steve responded, shaking Tony off of him, "We need to find her."

"We?" Tony asked curiously, "What, Ya gotta mouse in your pocket?"

"You know I can't work those magic interactive typewriters," Steve responded, crossing his arms, his eyes only glancing toward Tony for a second before going back to the Billboard.

"You mean a computer?" Tony stated, attempting not to laugh at the way it was described.

"Whatever," Steve answered dismissively, "Will you help or not?"

"I guess," Tony responded, already turning to head back to the Tower knowing that they trip for Kimchi was no longer possible, "But I gotta say that if it is her then I'm putting stock into that wrinkle crème."

* * *

Hel stood just across the street from the two without knowing it; still staring at the Billboard before checking her watch…she was needed in the Modeling studio in 17 minutes. She hating having to work and especially using her body to earn the money, but she needed the currency so she wouldn't have to keep killing the ill to live in their homes. Svel would be proud that she was able to assimilate into society and hold down a job.

She was thankful for her ability to manipulate thoughts. Given it was nothing compared to most Asgardians, she was able to implant thoughts into their minds here and there. Like at her audition when she implanted the thought that she was better than the other applicants. She had smiled when she was the first picked.

She arrived with time to spare and rode the elevator to the top floor, the TV inside showing one of the many news stations. "There have been a string of mysterious deaths in New York city, fifteen in total so far…and all within the last month. The bodies were all blackened and charred as though they were burned. The coroner reports that they were dead before they burned and eyes witnesses report that it seemed to have happened instantly. The police have found no connection between the victims and many are sticking to the theory of spontaneous combustion…however no one really knows for sure. This is Carolyn Sims reporting."

Spontaneous Combustion? If that meant that they combusted because of Hel's spontaneity then she agreed; otherwise, maybe not so much. The elevator dinged and she stepped off the metal death trap and found the office she was needed in, taking a seat in one of the many chairs in the room. She settled in and thought to herself all the things she would change about this world when she spotted a man step out from one of the offices,

"Heidi…"

* * *

"…Loftus," Tony finished, looking at the complete bio on the woman. He couldn't find anything like a birth certificate or green card, but he knew that it could just be bad filing from her home country of Norway to account for that. He certainly was hoping that was the case. He could only imagine if Steve found out that she didn't seem to exist before a month and a half ago; then he would only obsess more. "She's a model from Norway who immigrated here recently. I don't know what to tell you, I don't see the name Helen here anywhere."

"There has to be a reason they look the same," Steve muttered loudly to himself, leaning over Tony's chair to get a better look. It wasn't that Steve was truly obsessed with her, it was more the idea of her that he was obsessed with. Ever since Steve had woken up 70 years in the future he had realized that nothing was ever going to be the same. Bucky was gone (well Bucky was gone before he froze but...), Howard was gone, Col. Philips was gone; Dum Dum, Jim, Gabe, James, Jacques, those crazy Canadian brothers...all gone. He realized nothing was ever going to be the same. The times had changed and he was no longer able to be part of society. But Helen...if it was Helen, she'd be from a time that he understood. She would understand his confusion, she could be his key.

"Maybe their related, mother and daughter, hell maybe it's her grandmother…the age would work," Tony stated, interupting his thoughts.

"Thanks," Steve glared.

"What's going on?" Clint asked curiously, finding his way to the desk Steve and Tony were both currently eyeing.

"Cap here thinks he just saw a girl from the war," Tony stated, he voice showing that there was not one word of that he believed.

"That's not possible," Clint countered, leaning in close to get a good look at her, "Can't say I recognize 'er."

"How does you not recognizing her help us at all?" Tony questioned, annoyance crossing his face.

"Where does she work?" Steve asked, moving his finger across the front of the screen, the arrow whipping across the monitor but accomplishing nothing.

"It says," Tony began before batting away Steve's hand in frustration, "she works at Shnazyness Wonders Company…whatever that means."

"Then that's where I gotta go," Steve responded, standing up straight quickly; Clint dodging the man to avoid being hit by his sudden movement.

"Hold on," Tony countered, grabbing the man by the sleeve, "You can't go in like that, they're going to think you're crazy and cart you off, Captain America or not."

"Probably more likely if he shouts about how he's Captain America," Clint added.

"True," Tony agreed, turning to the soldier, "Look, Pepper's got this huge Gala coming up in four days; I'll convince her to send an invitation to this Heidi Loftus and you can meet her there."

"Are you sure she'll come?" Steve questioned suspiciously.

"Of course," Tony responded, "It's a Stark party, and no model can resist a Stark Party."


	3. Stark Party

**So I thought that this chapter had been up for two weeks aready and then I noticed that my email inbox didn't show it and low and behold it wasn't... I started thinking about it after I saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter because Dominic Cooper was awesome in it...the crazy portion of my brain was making connections that would never and should never exist - like how Henry Sturges and Howard Stark have the same initials and are played by the same guy (Captain America Howard Stark anyway)...so what if Howard Stark was actually a vampire...yeah, crazy right...I know.**

**When I wrote this chapter that includes Howard Stark I hadn't seen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and even if I had I wouldn't have combined the two but it would a be pretty epic crossover lol :)**

* * *

"Hello?" Helen asked curiously, creaking open the door ever so slightly. She was attempting to see if anything important was happening inside; but found nothing other than a faint flashing yellow light in the corner of the room. She sighed, perhaps he wasn't here; she turned to leave when she heard a light cough and froze. She turned back to the room and pushed the door open all the way to reveal the origin of the flashing light in the corner, apparently it was sparks from the welding that he seemed to be doing there. She smiled; perhaps this trip wasn't for nothing after all.

The man seemed enthralled in his work and only noticed her as she came upon him. "Can I help you?" he asked curiously, lifting the welding mask from his face, further confirming that he was exactly who she was looking for.

"Steve sent me," Helen replied, attempting to gage his reaction. The man stood quickly, removing the helmet and holding out his hand to shake,

"Howard Stark."

"Nice to meet you; Helen," she replied, taking the shake in stride. Howard moved from the table of metal plates he was working with and walked along his lab, Helen following quickly to keep up with his pace.

"I'm afraid I wasn't expecting you," he stated, moving with purpose, "Has anything happened to Steve?"

"No, nothing that I know of," Helen quickly replied, not meaning to concern the genius, "I was told you were working on a project for the government."

He paused, the rag he was using to wipe his hands no longer moving, "What project?"

"The Manhattan Project," she replied, tilting her head to the side. Maybe she did have the wrong person.

"I don't know anything about that," Howard replied, quickly moving amongst the tables in an effort to put distance between them.

"I just need to know if the result of said project will leave any lasting effects on the population that would require the people to be detained in quarantine."

"Who did you say you were?" he asked suspiciously.

"I am Helen," she replied, "I come as your ally."

"No," he replied, narrowing his eyes and coming nose to nose with her, "Who are you really?"

Hel froze at that, had he really been able to see through the ruse.

"I…" she found herself stutter out.

"I can have people in here to detain you within seconds," Mr. Stark informed her, his body between herself and the only door out of the room, "You're not even allowed to be in here, in case you were wondering."

"What about them?" she found herself asking curiously as she watched two soldiers meander their way into the room, guns drawn.

Howard turned to see what exactly she was indicating and smirked, "They must have seen you come in. I told you, you weren't allowed in here."

"I disagree that they are allies," Helen countered curiously.

"Agreed, I know for a fact that they're not your allies," Howard smirked. The two soldiers drew they're guns, "You should probably give up if you know what's good for ya." Suddenly a gunshot went off and he instinctively covered his head and ducked. He glanced up to see Helen standing in front of him. Bullet lodged in her abdomen.

"Like I said," she stated to him, spitting out the bullet and letting it clang to the floor, "I do not believe they are your allies."

The soldiers raised their guns to shoot again and Howard tipped one of the metal tables for protection to hide behind. He glanced up from the barricade to see Helen grab the gun from the soldier who was continuing to fire his round into her stomach. The bullets didn't seem to faze her as she tore the gun from his grasp and tossed it casually to the floor. Her hand suddenly reached up to grasp his face and after a few seconds she released him; his body slumping to the floor.

She smiled as she turned to the other solider whose eyes grew wide with fright, "Sie sind die Kreatur aus den Lagern (You are the monster from the camps)."

"Neuigkeiten von meiner Existenz hat sich schnell herumgesprochen. Ich bin ziemlich beeindruckt (News of my existence has spread quickly; I am quite impressed)," she responded. She made a step toward the lone soldier who stepped back in response. Howard continued to poke his head up over the table nervously, whoever this lady was she was dangerous, that was for sure. She stepped toward the soldier until his back was flush with the wall and he stopped, realizing that he had nowhere to go. His eyes searched the room desperately but Helen simply wrapped her fingers around his arm, his mouth widening in a soundless scream; his flesh turning an unnatural blackened color before she released him and he fell to his knees before slumping to the ground; dead.

She turned to Howard and wiped her hands together, as if to clean them before moving to look over the fallen table to the man who looked back up at her tentatively.

She reached out her hand to assist him up which only seemed to make him more nervous.

"I will not kill you," she told him honestly, "Of that you should not fret."

"Yeah," he responded, ignoring the outstretched hand and pushing himself up off the floor, "Because when someone says they won't kill you…you should just trust them."

"In this case that is the truth," she responded smiling, finding a discarded chair and setting it back upright before sitting in it.

"Do you even know Steve?" Howard questioned skeptically, an eyebrow rising as he stood over her.

"I did not lie to you Mr. Stark," she responded, "I would not lie when so many lives are at stake."

Howard lifted the table back up before grabbing a chair and seating it across from her, leaving ample room if needed in case of a sudden escape. Helen smiled and without being able to help herself, she laughed.

"So…you wanna tell me what that was all about?" he questioned curiously, pointing to the dead bodies on the floor.

"That depends," Helen questioned curiously, "How familiar are you with Norse Mythology."

* * *

"Look, look," Caren, the intern, shouted as she bound into the office excitedly, her hair bobbing from side to side as she hopped around. Caren was the girl who worked at the front desk but seemed to do less administrative office duties and more online shopping. Hel eyed her curiously but said nothing as she, herself, sat in the office with Richard, her direct superior. He had been giving her a lecture about how she needed to invest in some strange high pitched device that allowed for communication without visual assistance; it was called 'cell fone.'

"What is it Caren?" Richard asked curiously, wanting her to state her business and then be on her way. He had little time to deal with the secretaries but apparently more than enough time to lecture models about their lack of accessibility.

"It's a Stark Party," Caren giggled, holding the envelope firmly with both hands and wobbling it to and fro.

"A Stark Party?" Hel found herself asking curiously. Howard Stark had been one of her most trusted Advisors in Hel for decades, it would be impossible for him to hold a party.

Richard who, before the news had been less than interested in Caren's thoughts, now seemed incredibly enthralled with the possibilities and he held out his hand expectantly, waving his palm up and down impatiently.

Caren seemed reluctant to give it up but did none the less, before he shooed her away from the office, his eyes not leaving the Stark Industries logo on the back corner of the envelope. He spared no time ripping the paper apart to get to the contents, determined to see what he would get to do this time.

You are cordially invited to join us

at the christening of Avenger tower for an art Gala

and to introduce the team of Avengers to the general public.

As this is invite only, Ms. Heidi Loftus will be required to present this invitation in order to be granted entrance.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening in welcoming our heroes.

- Pepper Potts

CEO Stark Industries

"Unbelievable," Richard muttered to himself, letting the invite fall to the table top and sliding toward Hel. She really couldn't care less about the invitation. He looked to her as she sat looking toward the window uninterested in the events unfolding inside the room, "It's for you…maybe you should at least pretend to be a bit more excited for everyone else."

"I'm sorry?" she asked curiously, "For me."

"Yeah," Richard clarified, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "I don't know who you screwed to get an invitation but you better make us look damn good there; you got me."

"Indeed sir," she replied, picking up the abandoned invite and reading it over, "I must ask however, what is a Gala?"

* * *

Hel had absolutely no interest in going to this Gala…what was a Gala…he still hadn't told her and she didn't even have the faintest idea, but he had made it perfectly clear that it wasn't really her choice; apparently, it was her civic duty to go and represent the agency.

"You have to go," Richard had responded when she had asked if it was really necessary for her to really go, "You are a representation of this company and no one turns down a Stark Party."

So here she stood in the entrance to Avenger tower in some dress made by some designer she couldn't pronounce…gooki maybe…goshi, she couldn't figure it out but she knew it was more expensive than necessary. It was also shorter than necessary, she noted as she attempted to pull at the hem and allow it to cover a bit more of her thigh.

"Having some trouble," a man asked curiously, eyeing her with a smirk as he came from around the corner of the building, almost as though he had been hiding from the crowd.

"This dress is very disconcerting," she remarked, frustrated. His smile broadened at her terminology. She took in his smile and released the dress, eyeing him herself. He seemed out of place in this place for the wealthy to display said wealth. He seemed nervous, glancing around himself at all times as though ready for attack. She found him very interesting.

"Doesn't look like that's yours," he noted, regarding the dress.

"It isn't, I was instructed to wear it in an attempt to appear as part of the company."

"Company?" he asked warily.

"Yes, I work for a modeling agency."

"And you got an invitation to this party," he asked a bit nervously, swirling the drink in his hand. He hadn't known Pepper to allow a lot of models into the Tower now that she and Tony had become an item.

"It would appear that is the case," she remarked, pulling at her dress one handed, while fishing through the Vurcoche handbag that she was given to find the invitation; all the while watching his facial expressions.

"Oh," he stated, seeing the invitation appear out of her Versace bag before handing it to him.

"Okay Miss. Loftus," he stated attempting to save face by pretending to appear as the bouncer but failing miserably.

"Well," Hel stated casually, "I must attempt to greet the host as it was by her invitation that I arrived here this evening." She stepped away from the interesting man and up the steps and into the building to see an enormous statue of Tony Stark. He was both so alike and so different from his father. She moved to the makeshift bar which seemed to have been randomly placed into the front lobby, asking for the most ordered drink of the evening to appear normal; she had absolutely no intention of drinking the inhibitor.

Receiving her beverage, she moved from the bar and began to randomly move along the floor, stopping to eye the images on the walls as though she were remotely interested. Why would this Pepper Potts invite her to such an event? It seemed strange.

"Helen?" a voice asked curiously; urgently; desperately. Hel froze, recognizing the voice immediately but knowing full well that she couldn't respond to the name he had just voiced. As casually as she could, she walked quickly away from the Captain, disappearing into the crowd, and headed out of the ninth story balcony to breathe in deeply.

She set her beverage on the railing and sighed. She had not expected to see Steve; she knew deep down that he was alive and wandering around somewhere but the idea that he was friends with Tony Stark boggled her mind. How the Captain was able to stay friends with generations of Starks was interesting; but she didn't really have time to be worrying about that now.

"Ahhh, Heidi Loftus," a voice boomed from the other side of the door. She stood with her back to him, knowing full well that she shouldn't turn around…that he would recognize her even if she hadn't been on Midgard since before he'd been born.

* * *

It was cloudy…and getting ready to rain. The crowd stood beside the dirt covered caskets getting ready to disperse. The young boy stood alone as his new guardian greeted foreign dignitaries and shook hands with the who's who of the funeral.

Tony sighed and turned away from the scene, forcing his hands into his pocket and kicking the pebbles as he moved toward the black town car on the one lane drive. He clicked his special thumbprint scanning door opener, forcing the door to open before thunking himself inside and slamming the door closed behind him.

"Hello Mr. Stark," Hel stated casually as she sat in the seat beside him.

"Oh my god," he shouted out nervously, clutching his heart desperately, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Hel," she responded, smirking slightly at his language, "Your father sent me here."

"My father?" he asked curiously before adding with both sarcasm and sadness, "You know my father's dead right?"

"I do," she responded.

"How did you get in here?" he asked curiously, looking over at the dark haired woman beside him.

"I appeared," she responded to the teenage boy, disappearing once before reappearing to see his eyes wide.

"What are you?"

"I'm from the afterlife," she responded.

"Like an angel?" he questioned confused.

"Not particularly," she responded, "However I will be around to keep you safe."

"What does that mean?" he asked curiously, eyebrow cocked.

"It means that I will do my very best to keep you alive," she replied and he looked her over again.

"How would you do that?" Tony asked curiously before rethinking it, "What do mean keep me alive?"

"Just trust me…and be wary of Obidiah Stane," she mentioned casually, vanishing as Stane opened the door beside him.

* * *

"Anthony Edward Stark," she responded, still keeping her back to him.

Tony froze; he hadn't heard that voice since he was in that cave with the car battery attached to his chest. The guardian angel he had called her, despite the fact that she would blatantly laugh at him when he did so.

"I am not an angel Mr. Stark," she would respond, "I am merely here to ensure your safety, as I have promised your mother and father as much."

Tony thought of her as someone important; any time he was in danger, she would be there; and every time he thought that he might die, she would keep him alive. So despite the fact that she denied her angelic status, she was still his guardian, invisible as she may be to everyone else. However, the model known as Heidi Loftus was real; she could be seen by everyone, and she wasn't a guardian by any means.

Hel turned to face the billionaire with a smile and she thought his eyes were about to pop out of his head. She moved toward him and shook his hand, his grip loose and his mouth slack. He hadn't really thought about her being the guardian when he'd seen her up on the billboard but when he looked at her with that voice coming from her mouth; it was like they were twins.

"I am Heidi Loftus, model affiliated with the Shnazyness Modeling Company on 11th."

"It's um…nice to um…meet you Ms. Loftus," Tony replied, gripping her hand harder as the handshake continued before releasing her hand completely and moving toward the railing, realizing with anger that he was acting uncharacteristically nervous and scared.

"You aren't actually Hel the guardian angel are you?" Tony found himself asking curiously by mistake, wording it carefully as sarcasm just to be on the safe side.

Hel fought the urge to remind him that she was not in fact an angel but changed her mind and simply smiled, "I'm afraid not."

"Oh," he stated slightly embarassed. Hel smiled sadly, she had come to think of this boy as a nephew as it were, ensuring his safety since his teen years and despite his brilliant mind she suspected that he thought of her as an aunt.

"Um, so, um," Tony sputtered out, not particularly ready for actual conversation.

"Tony?" a woman called out curiously from somewhere in the building before coming to stand at the open balcony doors, "Tony."

"Oh, um hey Pepper," he responded, turning to look to his girlfriend guiltily. He wasn't sure why he felt guilty since he was just talking to her but for some reason he did.

"What are you doing Tony?" she asked curiously, eyebrow raised. He had practically begged her to invite this woman, claiming that it was for Steve but Pepper failed to see Steve anywhere near this woman; Tony however…

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Hel stated, attempting to save him yet again, this time however from embarrassment.

"Hi," Pepper replied, taking her outstretched hand and shaking it, "Pepper Potts CEO of Stark Industries."

"Heidi Loftus, employee of the Shnazyness Modeling Company."

"I know," Pepper responded skeptically, "I sent you the invitation."

"How very kind of you, however I feel that I must question as to why."

"I'm beginning to question that myself," Pepper felt herself respond. Hel simply smiled as the woman threw her hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

"Um, maybe we should get back to the party Pepper," Tony stated quickly, pushing her along to the door and away from the woman.

"Tony, what is with you?" Pepper asked annoyed, ripping herself from his grasp as they made it out of ear shot of the woman.

"I don't know…it's just…she looks like Hel."

"That's not very nice Tony," Pepper reprimanded.

"No, I don't mean like Hell, I mean like Hel; that woman I told you about."

"You mean your invisible friend," Pepper replied.

"She wasn't my invisible friend Pepper. I was 17 when she first showed up; it'd be a little weird to get an imaginary friend at 17."

"Tony, your parents had just died and you were orphaned, it isn't that unheard of to try and deal with it through another…a mother figure…a guardian angel."

"No Pepper, I didn't imagine her; despite what you think, I know that she's real."

"Who's real my Iron friend," a large blonde man asked smiling as he came around the corner of the room, slapping his comrade hard on the back.

"Nobody," Tony replied, not wanting to even have this conversation with Pepper…let alone Thor.

"This woman that Tony has been imagining since he was a teenager," Pepper replied, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend when he turned to glare at her, "Hel."

"Hel…you mean Hel of Nelfheim, ruler of the dead; daughter of Loki," Thor responded confused, scratching his large blonde head.

"Wait…what?" Tony asked in disbelief.

"Nevermind," Thor replied, "I doubt it is her of which you speak as her body is blackened and charred and she rises to over ten feet; she would be hard to mistake her for anyone else."

Tony let out a breath of relief and Pepper just rolled her eyes, "Well I have guests to get back to, have fun playing."

"Indeed, let us play man of iron," Thor laughed, thumping him hard on the back again. Tony just sighed and followed his ridiculous friend.

* * *

Hel huffed, still standing outside on the balcony, she had forgotten how many on Midgard she knew; it would be more difficult to conquer than she had first imagined. She leaned her weight on the railing, looking out over the city when she heard footsteps come from behind her.

"Hello again," the man voiced, smiling and waving to her uncomfortably, "I didn't realize you'd be out here."

Hel smiled, it was the man from the front of the building, the man with fire in his eyes; she enjoyed him.

"I guess if we're going to keep running into each other I should introduce myself," he replied sticking out his hand for her to shake, "I'm doctor Banner."

"Doctor Banner," she repeated, shaking his hand in response, "Of what medical affiliation do you specialize?"

"Oh, sorry; I'm not a medical doctor…I'm a scientist."

"Even more interesting," Hel smiled, "Well it is a pleasure to meet you Doctor Banner."

The awkwardness became suddenly apparent as Dr. Banner became to laugh uncomfortably.

"My apologies," Hel stated suddenly, "Did you wish for me to leave so as to enjoy the solitude."

"oh..um no your fine I didn't….I mean I don't…I mean it's fine…your fine…not in a fine way or anything…just that you being here is fine…I mean."

"I will stay then?" she responded, half as a question and half as a statement.

"Sounds good," he responded, moving to stand beside her and lean over the railing with her, "It's just kinda crowded in there."

"That is understandable, as it is also my reason for venturing to this location." She turned to see him smile and she smiled back in return. This man had many sides to him and she couldn't help but find him fascinating. She hoped that she would be able to talk to in the future as well and that upon her father's reign, his life would be spared.

He had moved a bit closer to her and leaned into her ear whispering, "Sometimes the crowds upset me."

She smiled and nodded her head in understanding as a flash suddenly went off causing both heads to turn around suddenly, Dr. Banner's eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Hel wasn't worried, without her utmost concentration, she was not able to appear on film, when the pictures were developed it would look like the doctor was alone in the picture.

"Get out of here," Dr. Banner grumbled, slightly annoyed, "Stop taking pictures."

"I'm being paid to take pictures," the boy replied, slightly annoyed.

"Parker," a gruff man shouted from somewhere inside, causing the boy's head to whip around in response. The boy, Parker, turned back to the two and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively causing Dr. Banner to glare more at the boy.

"It is perhaps best for you to find your film targets elsewhere," Hel responded, sensing the pure rage emanating from the man's core…more interesting.

"Parker," the voice yelled out again, this time louder and closer. It seemed to be enough for the boy to move, snapping one last photo and running back into the building.

"Stupid kid," Dr. Banner muttered out annoyed. Hel simply smirked at him and tilted her head to the side a bit. She patted his back for a second before taking a step away from him.

"It appears that you must settle your inner demons for a temporary reprieve; I will vacate the balcony to allow for such. If you desire to determine my location farther into the night I will attempt to make myself easy to locate and sense." She smiled and stepped away from him, moving toward the open double doors and smiling, "I hope to see you again Dr. Banner."

"Bruce," he suddenly stated, still angry but already beginning to calm down, as though her being there helped, "Bruce Banner."

"Well then, Bruce," she stated, bowing her head ever so slightly before turning and leaving the balcony. Bruce's eyebrows raised in interest. She was causing an odd sensation to the other guy. There was something about her that soothed him, and that was impossible. Usually the only thing that soothed the other guy was destruction. As he had a rage inside, he could sense that she in turn had sadness. It was strange that she was so lively and smiley with so much sadness stored away inside, he would need to meet with her more and try and figure her out…she was fascinating.


	4. Coffee, the beverage of the Gods

**Sorry it's taken too long...full time job, part time job, and full time school. Not a particularly fun and leisurely time for my but it will happen...this will get done if it kills me...so here is chapter 4. **

Hel made her way through the party before finding a seat on one of the many overly structured couches near the bar area. She sighed, pulling once more at her dress as she let herself sit precariously on the edge of the cushion. This entire party was definitely not something that she was accustomed to. She was typically in Sick Bed by this time of night not wearing revealing outfits and talking to people. She grumbled to herself, swirling the drink she had been carrying all night as a man sat beside her; she hadn't been paying attention. If she was honest with herself she was still thinking about the man on the balcony…Dr. Banner. He was very interesting, she wasn't sure interesting was the right word but it was the only one that she felt comfortable using at the moment.

"Helen," the voice questioned beside her and without thinking twice she turned toward him, instantly regretting her decision. She needed to stop thinking about things on the balcony and focus on the fact that she just gave herself away.

"Captain Rogers," she responded, knowing that it was too late to be playing innocent at this point.

"I knew it was you. Despite everything else…I knew it was you."

"I don't wish to discuss this here," she responded, glancing around nervously.

"What's going on?" he asked her confused, "How are you alive? How did you get here? Why did you change your name? I don't under…"

"I don't want to talk about this here," she repeated, angrier that she had been the first time.

"Well," Steve began trying to find something to say, "Where do you want to talk?"

"Somewhere else…anywhere else," she replied, standing and wiggling her dress hem back down her thigh, "Perhaps we can meet."

"Soon?" he questioned impatiently, smirking and blushing as she fumbled with her dress. Apparently she had as much trouble with the new styles as he had.

"Yes, soon," she answered. She thought a second before opening her bag and digging through it until she found a small white card, "This has my information on it including the number required to contact me through something called a Cell Fone. Use that and we may set up a meeting time." He took the card tentatively and as soon as the paper hit his hand Hel was gone. He looked back and forth for a second but the woman had disappeared; something that he was vaguely familiar with her doing from before.

* * *

"_What is this odd device?" she questioned curiously, pointing to the thin object in Howard Stark's hand._

"_What device," Steve questioned back, not having paid attention to what she was pointing at until she said something._

"_This?" she repeated, overly interested in the object in Stark's hand as she stood beside him. She'd gotten more relaxed around them over the weeks and had been actively engaging in conversation._

"_Oh; that's a phone," Steve replied, eying Howard. The man, leaning back on a metal chair with his feet propped up on a table, phone to his ear as he yelled at someone on the other line._

"_Ahh, I swear I will ring your neck if you don't tell me what I need to know about this so called covert project right now..."_

"_Why is he yelling into it?" she asked curiously, her head tilting to the side as she focused on it intently, "Is there something wrong with it?"_

"_Naw, there's just something wrong with the people he's talkin' to Ms. Helen."_

* * *

Hel sighed as she sat in central park, the bench nearest the taco truck, awaiting Steve to arrive. She found herself a touch nervous but tried not to show it as she picked at the thick paint on her nails, willing it to disappear; it only chipped.

"Helen," Steve shouted waving excitedly at her as he all but ran to the bench she was perched on, "I didn't think you'd show."

"You should know by now that I do not go back on my word."

"Why do you sound so serious, you sound like you did before you started being friends with everyone?"

"It has been a long while since I last saw the men and I must admit that I have fallen back to previous habits. However seeing you, despite my initial fear and avoidance, has given me an emotional lift."

He smiled in that teen boy kind of way of his, "You're happy to see me."

"I believe that is what I just said," she replied, smirking and rolling her eyes despite herself.

"So what do you think of everything?" he questioned curiously, letting his eyes wander over the landscape of the city, "Everything's so different."

"It is but with the years in which I have survived, I have seen many things change so the difference between half a century is of little impact."

"Oh yeah, I forgot your ancient," Steve laughed, nudging her lightly on the shoulder.

She found herself smiling and nudged him back when a loud noise caused them both to unnaturally jump.

"What is that?" Steve asked curiously, embarrassed by his startling.

"My cell fone," Helen replied, pulling the small object from her pocket as it continued to sing that obnoxious tune, "I have been told that I am required to carry it." She grumbled under her breath and suddenly and easily crushed it with her hand, sparks shooting out haphazardly. "I do not like being told what I am required to do."

Steve smirked at that before pulling out his own, "I was going to ask you if we could stay in touch and call each other but I guess that doesn't make much sense now."

"You have learned the ways of the small speaking device?" Helen asked curiously.

"Well you have to remember I knew how to use a phone back when we were fighting Hydra and the Nazis while you looked at them like they were communicating with another planet."

"Yes, and I remember Stark would go to great lengths to get a rise from me with this telephonic device."

"Yeah, when we weren't planning another raid into enemy territory our days seemed to consist of making yours miserable."

"I remember," she laughed.

"Remember when Howard had you convinced that he was going to bind you to a table and dissect you for research?"

"That was not funny," Helen chastised, "He could have been seriously injured. One touch and he would have been killed."

"We knew the risk but deep down I don't think you would've been able to kill either of us."

"I am afraid that you may be right about that," Helen sighed disconcerted at the thought.

"What do you mean?" Steve questioned curiously.

"Nothing," Helen replied swiftly.

"Helen, I'm really glad that we got to get together; it's been really hard for me since I woke up and I was here and in this time. Then I immediately had to help the rest of the Avengers go after Loki so it's really nice that I get to see a friendly old face, not that your face is old or anything."

She smiled at that; he still worried about hurting a woman's feelings. She tried not to let the name of her father coming from her friends lips upset her but she knew deep down that it did.

"I understand completely my friend," she responded with a laugh, "I just must ask that you call me Heidi here, Helen is a name that I have not gone by for many years."

"Oh…oh yeah sure, of course," Steve rushed to reply, "Why did you change your name anyway, it isn't like anyone would remember you other than me; you officially didn't exist."

"When in reference to the government?" she questioned curiously.

"Well I guess Fury seems like someone who would probably have a file on you."

"I know not of this Fury but if he has anything to do with the Avengers or the government than I must agree."

"So what have you been doing since I dropped out of Howard's plane over Europe," Steve asked curiously.

"Well, I assisted Howard in some of his more far-fetched concepts and I was the honored maid for his wedding."

"Maid of honor," Steve corrected, falling into the habits of the past.

"Thank you, maid of honor," she missed Steve and Howard's new age reference corrections, "After that I journeyed back to my realm and I have been there ever since."

"So why did you come back?" he found himself asking curiously.

"My father," she replied.

"So your father must be really old if you're as old as you are."

"Very much so," she sighed, "I came here without his knowledge with the idea that I would do for him what he could not do himself but I am deeming that more and more difficult as the days wear on and this disconcerts me greatly."

She heard another loud noise and looked down at the destroyed device in her hands in disbelief that it could continue to function. Realizing that it was not in fact her 'fone' device she turned to Steve who held his own in his hand and proceeded to open it in half and hold it to his head, "Hello?"

"A meeting? " … "With Fury?" … "Right now?" … "Okay Tony I'm on my way" Steve closed the 'fone' and placed it back into his coat pocket before turning back to the woman on the bench and smiling as he stood.

"Don't worry Heidi," Steve offered, ensuring that he used her new name, "I know you and you'll do the right thing."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Hel whispered to herself as he walked with purpose toward the Tower that stood above all the others.

After a minute or two Hel stood from the bench herself and made her way over to the coffee shop she had noticed on her way here. The fall breeze was a bit chilling and despite her Jötunn blood and the cold of her realm itself, her Æsir form was not impervious to the cold.

Hel walked purposely to the coffee shop and as she opened the door she was immediately greeted with the smells of the hot beverage and the pastries of champions. She smiled contently to herself; she needed this after the cold day she was forced to endure. She stood at the back of the line, two others in front of her. She felt happy in this room, happier than she'd felt in a while, and she noticed herself bouncing on the balls of her feet. Realizing that the person at the front of the line had gotten their beverages she burrowed her hand in her pocket to attempt to locate the change she was going to need. She pulled a wad of change from her pocket and began to sort it out in her hand when the person who had just collected his coffee bumped into her on his way toward the door, only narrowly avoiding drenching her in the scalding liquid.

"Sorry," he muttered, trying to shift the cup carriers that he had carefully perched on his arms.

"My apologies," she added, glancing up from her hand of change to see the man's face, "Doctor Banner!"

"Heidi," Bruce exclaimed in surprise, "I wasn't expecting to see you around here."

"I am here simply to get coffee…just as you are apparently," she grinned.

"Yeah, I am learning not to mention where you are when you're on the phone with Tony; give him as little detail as possible," he sighed.

"Do you require assistance in transporting your beverages to your meeting?"

"Um, well I don't know if your technically allowed and I…I think I got it," Bruce sputtered out shifting the carriers; one tilting into a drastic slat. Bruce's breath seemed to hitch but Hel was faster as she jutted out her cash free hand in time to catch the falling cardboard carrier full of custom coffee.

"Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly.

"Fine," she replied with a huff, "Are you sure you don't want assistance?"

"Um, you know maybe that isn't such a terrible idea," Bruce muttered embarrassed, "I'll just…"

"Next," the woman from the counter called.

"Oh sorry, right," Bruce began as he placed the coffee carriers on the nearest table, "You get your coffee and then I think…yeah I've got one extra spot on this third carrier so we can put it there if you want and then we can head over there."

"Wonderful," she smiled, "One moment."

* * *

"So you moved here recently then?" Bruce asked curiously, carrier in each hand as he eyed the model next to him with a carrier of her own, headed quite late to the meeting at Stark…Avenger Tower.

"Yes, I arrived from the sky a couple of months ago," she replied, wishing she'd worn a slightly heavier coat for the dense fall weather.

"Oh you flew here…from Norway right?" he asked curiously.

"Yes," she replied only about half sure of her answer, she couldn't remember everything that she had put in the file. She wasn't sure of Doctor Bruce's affiliation with Tony Stark and the Avengers, the evidence of the coffee gave the idea that he was an assistant but there was a chance that they were suspicious of her and he was sent after her to get information. It wouldn't be entirely unheard of. She knew that the Avengers had their access to spies. But why would he be a doctor and an assistant? She doubted that doctors were so abundant amongst the ranks that the title no longer held meaning, much like a degree in English. She also considered the rage she felt behind his eyes from time to time, trying to free itself, like her own sadness and woe, why would someone who so much power be forced to fetch the coffee.

"Are you okay?" he suddenly asked coming to a full halt.

"I…what?" she asked confused.

"I've been trying to get your attention for the last couple minutes…I think you zoned out there for a minute."

"My apologies," she smiled, "I was just thinking to myself."

"Must have been some thought," he mused.

"Mmm," she responded noncommittally.

"Because we're here," he smirked getting her attention focused on the looming Tower in front of her where she had met the man only days before.

"It appears we are," she smiled, following him through the automatic doors and to the elevator.

If the people inside were wary of her, she didn't seem to notice as they walked past herself and Bruce without a second glance. For a Tower of secrets it seemed a bit ridiculous to not be suspicious of someone without an ID coming into the Tower and moving straight to the elevator with purpose.

Once the door had shut behind them with a click Bruce pushed his pass-code into the door, scanned his badge, and spoke his name into the panel.

"Thank you Doctor Banner," the machine responded a thick British accent to it, "And I see that you have a friend with you. Is she authorized as well?"

"This is Heidi Loftus," Bruce told the computer, and she's helping me bring up the coffee for the guys."

"Mr. Stark has been asking about your whereabouts for the last 15 minutes. I won't delay you further," the elevator responded before lurching to life.

"Thanks," Bruce replied before turning back to Heidi, "Sorry about that. That's Jarvis."

"He seems quite nice," she smiled imagining a quite helpful older man.

"He was programmed that way," Bruce replies, laughing at the confusion that crosses her face, "Sorry, your face was priceless. Jarvis is a computer program using a language that Tony created himself he calls the language S.T.A.R.K. and he's the only one who understands how it works."

"Interesting," Heidi replied as the elevator came to a quick and smooth stop not even upsetting their equilibrium as it did so.

"Well let's get these men their drinks," Bruce grinned, leading the way down the corridor passing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents along the way. It seems that she is now out of place, she notes as they stare accusingly at her and warily at Bruce. Perhaps he is a spy after all.

"Another one?" a woman's voice shouted through the door, "I thought the Bi-frost was destroyed, how the hell do they keep getting here?"

"Yeah I have to agree on this," a voice she recognized as Steve's added, "First Loki, then Thor, then they went home, then some mysterious one we don't know of..."

'Me' she thought silently to herself.

"…then Thor came back, now another mysterious one…I thought we had this under control."

Wait, there was another powerful being that arrived to Midgard?

"I should probably get in there," Bruce mentioned a bit nervously, "That room is actually sound proofed so if we can hear them then it's gotta be pretty bad.

"Of course," she nodded, "Where would you like me to set these?"

"Oh right," Bruce sputtered out, glancing around quickly, "I guess that side table against the wall there would work."

"Of course," Heidi replied, setting the carrier on the table before pulling her own from the slot, "Am I going to need anything to get from the building?"

"Oh no, you only need the ID and voice and all that to get in the building not to be out, I guess they figure once you're in here your supposed to be in."

"Thank you very much Bruce," Heidi responded, turning from the man and heading toward the corridor slowly.

"Thanks for the help," Bruce responded, "You really helped me out."

"It was no problem," Heidi replied, "Bye."

"Wait," Bruce shouted as an afterthought, running to catch up to her, "I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner with me sometime?"

"That sounds nice; I would very much like that."

"Um, is there any way that I could get your number."

"My number?" she asked confused.

"Your phone number."

"Oh my apologies I recently broke my fonetic device but if you give me your…number…then I would more than happy to…call you back."

"Oh," Bruce responded, realizing that the model was just trying to get out of giving out her number, she wasn't interested at all.

"I assume that I will be forced to buy another one of these obnoxious devices to keep on my person tomorrow," she grumbled, pulling the bundle of circuit boards and plastic from her pocket, "But I will ensure that you are the first to receive a call from the new box."

Bruce smiled at the destroyed tech in her palm, "Have a bit of a rage problem?"

"I choose to…how do you mortals say," she mumbled to herself, "Plead the fifth on that."

Bruce smiled again before pulling the pen from his shirt pocket and grabbing the empty hand, turning it palm down, "This is my number. When you get your new phone just dial this and I'll be sure to answer."

"Thank you very much, Bruce," Heidi smiled, "I will be sure to do just that." Bruce released her hand regrettably and allowed her to turn from him, grab her coffee, and move toward the corridor in the direction of the elevator. As she moved to turn the corner she turned back to him and smiled,

"Goodbye."

"Bye," he smiled back turning to grab the coffee carriers from the table and go into the meeting.

" 'Bout time," Fury growled angrily as the door closed behind him, "Where the hell have you been?"


	5. CELL YOUR CELL

**So over Christmas break I found a tiny kitten covered in snow in the dark, so I carried him inside where I always have way to many lights on and let him become my pet. He'd been separated from his family. He's is a little monster; he's constantly breaking things, and causing my parents pets to fight when we visit and he likes to try and trick people...he's a general pain in the butt. I named him Loki and he seems to really like his name. I think it works.**

* * *

Bruce felt an eerie silence settle over the room as he let the door to what Tony had dubbed the 'Situation Room' close behind him, three carriers of coffee carefully perched in his arms, his chin holding the lids on the cups of the top carrier in place. Eyes burrowed holes into him and he felt himself fidget uncomfortably.

" 'Bout time," Fury growled angrily from his spot on the other side of the table, "Where the hell have you been?"

"I…" Bruce began carefully when Tony suddenly interrupted him,

"Coffee…finally I've only been waiting for an hour."

"It's only been twenty minutes," Bruce retorted with a scoff, looking like a circus act as he carefully got the coffee onto the table without tipping them.

"How did you get all that here?" Natasha asked in disbelief, "You looked like you having trouble just standing still, let alone walking four blocks at noon in New York City."

"I…" Bruce began again, this time being interrupted by Fury,

"We don't have time to care about how he got the coffee here, Ms. Romanoff; we need to be concerned with this new threat to the planet; a threat that we cannot access."

"Well if someone had given me the data from that other one a couple of months ago and the ones from the wondertwins maybe I would've been able to give you something," Tony remarked with disdain, despite the fact that he'd already 'acquired' that data from the S.H.I.E.L.D secure server, he smiled at that.

"Those situations aren't even connected by the looks of it," Fury responded, "The energy signature is different from all of those we have previously recorded. Nothing seems to be connected and we need to figure out exactly what it is and where it's coming from."

"I'm sorry I can't be of much help," Thor stated uncharacteristically quietly, "I am also unfamiliar with this situation. I have talked to Father and he says that he is not aware of anyone traveling to Midgard recently other than me and my brother. He did say that he believes that someone has traveled from Nornheim recently but he could not tell where they were headed."

"Well it says here that the data stops at the same place as the last unknown signature," Steve mentioned eying the manila folder set in front of him, "Couldn't they be related then?"

"I don't see any data that would put me under that impression," Bruce said, now seated at the table, examining the data in the folder to make up for his late arrival.

"Well what does this data give you the impression of then doctor?" Fury asked curiously, an eyebrow raised.

"I can't be sure without running some tests," Bruce replied, not looking up as he flipped through the pages of the file.

"Do we think that there's any chance that either of these mysterious beings could be in any way related to all the mysterious deaths over the last couple months," Natasha asked curiously, looking around the table of Avengers before settling her stare on Fury.

"What mysterious deaths," Steve found himself asking curiously before he could stop himself.

"What mysterious deaths?" Clint repeated back in astonishment, "They've been all over the news. About all these people who are all charred up, it looks they were set on fire but the coroner figured out that they actually burned from the inside like Spontaneous Combustion or something…your telling me you haven't heard about any of that?"

"Well I don't really watch that much television," Steve shrugged trying to hide the concern and inner turmoil that was spinning inside him. That sounded identical to Helen but why would she be going around killing people unless it was for a good reason; she had never shown any evidence of being anything other than a kind and merciful person. He stared at the table as he thought to himself and as his eyes rose, he met the stare of Nick Fury glaring at him.

"Alright," Fury finally stated, addressing the group, "I need to know everything there is to know about our mysterious visitors and I want to know immediately; meeting over." Fury crossed his arms against his chest and watched as the Avengers gathered their belongings, newly received mission files and coffee courtesy of Bruce Banner, and headed for the door; steve a couple steps behind the last of them. "Captain," Fury called out, "A minute."

"Yes Director," Steve asked curiously.

"When your body was discovered in the Artic," Fury began, causing Steve to wince; not his most fond memories, "I got all the information on you that existed. Everything about you and Howard and Bucky and those mysteriously lucky Canadian boys. We also got a record of some tests that Stark was running on someone that you both seemed to be quite close to. There wasn't much on this woman, but seeing as she was a woman who was going into combat in the 1940's I knew it wasn't something that should be overlooked. So I looked into it."

Steve winced at the way he'd said that, "Sir?"

"What I found was that this woman traveled with you and your men and had the ability to kill someone from simply touching them. Howard was trying to extract this ability from what I could gather so that he could weaponize it against the Nazis and Hydra, from our records it shows that he never could."

"What are you getting at Director, sir?" Steve felt himself mutter nervously.

"If somehow this woman is still alive…and you make contact with her," Fury paused to lean in closer and stare directly into Steve's eyes, "I expect to be notified immediately."

"Understood sir," Steve hurriedly responded, giving a salute for good measure.

"And that's an order," Fury added.

"Understood," Steve repeated.

"Dismissed," Fury finished, turning from the man to converse with Maria Hill who must have come in some time during the intense conversation.

Steve walked down the hallway unnerved by the conversation that had just transpired. The way Fury had said that almost indicated that he already knew that she was here. That Fury knew that he was talking to her and meeting her in the park and calling her. Fury was the government; it wouldn't be that unheard of. Steve froze mid-step; was this a test, was Fury testing him to see if he would tell the man that she was here, that he had talked to her…an apparent murderer. Steve shook his head; Fury didn't seem the type to sit around wasting time by testing his soldiers. Still unnerved by the conversation, Steve gathered his strength and made his way to his quarters 16 floors up, taking the stairs to help clear his mind.

* * *

Hel walked through the lobby of Stark Tower, coffee in hand when it happened, the headache that made her head feel as though it was on fire, her eyes blurring on the verge of tears. She groaned silently to herself and held her head in pain. Then, as quickly as the pain that come…it was gone. Hel stood there, frozen in the lobby of Stark Tower in disbelief for a moment but after a few moments of the pain not returning Hel shook the memory from her thoughts and walked out of the revolving doors and back into the brisk fall weather, thankful that the coffee warmed her hands.

As she turned onto the next block she looked down at the hands that cradled her coffee and remembering the way he had grabbed it. She wasn't used to people touching her hand affectionately like that. Most people were terrified of her and even her friends like Howard and Steve didn't really touch her hands. They were more likely to administer friendly pats on the back or to ruffle her hair like a child. The way he'd held her hand was so odd and comforting and unaccustomed, she couldn't help but smile. She could not wait to talk with him again.

She paused as a man dressed in a giant fone costume darted in front of her dancing wildly. Hel rolled her eyes at his idiocy but looked at the building he'd emerged from, CELL YOUR CELL. Cell, what did that mean? Did this man sell fones like the giant costumed man indicated or did they do something with the genetic material of ones' body. She shrugged and decided to investigate the mortal store, perhaps they could assist her with her fone dilemma; if not she could always purchase body fluid, though she didn't have much use for it.

She heard the little bell ding above her head and moved to the counter; looking into the clear glass display. It seemed that they did sell fones.

"Hi," the man at the counter called, not bothering to turn as he tinkered with something on the back counter.

"Hello," Hel responded, slightly annoyed at his lack of attention to her.

"What," he began before turning around and facing her, "Can I do for you?"

"I need to purchase one of these devices."

"No problem, what kind do you nee…," the man began before freezing in place and staring at her in awe, "Are you Heidi Loftus?"

"I am, and I need a fone that will allow me to communicate with those in my life."

"Um… well they all do that; you'll have to be more specific," the man smirked, "You know I've seen all your ads."

"That is nice for you," she muttered quietly, eying the different varieties of fones in the case all looking much more intricate than she needed. Why couldn't she have a simple phone like Steve's. She sighed dejectedly.

"You're really beautiful," he grinned smiling wider than appropriate.

"Thank you," she replied simply out of courtesy, "I need a phone like this." Setting the coffee on the counter, Hel fished the bundle of cable and plastic from her pocket and set it beside her cupped beverage.

"Oh…wow. That thing really took a beating," the guy responded amazed, picking up what he could and turning it over in his hands, "So you want another iPhone then?"

"I just want whatever is easiest," she shrugged. He smirked and fumbled with the plastic a little before pulling out one of the phones that looked similar to her old one and fumbling with it a bit. He held what she had learned was the power button and watched it come on.

"There ya go…all fixed," the man smiled. I just put your old sim in this one and everything should still be there…well most of your stuff like your provider and your phone number but not any music or apps or contacts or anything."

"I don't know what any of that means," Hel replied flatly.

"You lost all your phone numbers for people you know."

"It can remember numbers for people I know?" Hel asked in disbelief. The man behind the counter blinked in disbelief. Hel looked down at her hand and showed the penned number to the man, "Would it be possible to put this number in my phone?"

"Um, sure, here let me do that for you real quick," he grinned glancing at her hand before playing with the screen of the device. When he'd finished he handed it to her carefully and smiled, "I added your friend's number under Contact 2 and I put my number in there too…under Travis…cus that's my name. I also made it your first speed dial. If you ever need help with your phone for any reason…just give me a call."

"Thank you…Travis," he grinned as she said his name, "I will keep that in mind. How much do you require for you service."

"You know what…were all set."

"Set for what?" she asked confused.

"I mean it's free of charge," Travis responded with a smile.

"That cannot be good business practice," Hel replied curiously.

"Well it's not often that I get a model strolling in here looking for a phone so ya know…."

"Well then I guess you have my thanks for your service and may the gods show favor upon you."

"Um thanks?" he replied confused. He watched Hel as she smiled and grabbing her coffee and her new phone, departed from the CELL YOUR CELL.

As soon as she had departed the store she received a call. She had no way to see who it was calling her, typically when someone called it was her agency but it always said Shnazy when they did, "Hello?"

"Hey are you coming to work today or what?" she heard a man she could only guess to be her boss question curiously.

"I am planning to do just that yes; I needed to acquire a new fone and I am now heading to the building."

"A new phone; did you break another one? That's the fourth one this month."

"I acknowledge that my phone protection habit is not the best," she replied, "I will arrive soon."

"You better, we have a special guest for this one," he responded before promptly hanging up on her. She shrugged and scrolled the now active screen showing the two contacts, Travis and Contact 2. Realizing that she would need both hands, Hel threw the now empty coffee cup into a trash can as she passed, using her now free hand to call Bruce.

It rang three time before he answered, a shuffling sound reaching the earpiece before his voice, "He…Hello?"

"Hello?" Hel responded curiously, "Is this Bruce?"

"Yes," he responded, the shuffling sound no longer able to be heard I the background, "Who is this?"

"This is Heidi," she answered, "It appears that I purchased a phone sooner than I expected and I am now calling as I had promised that I would."

"Oh, Hi," Bruce responded, his voice lifting, "It's so great to hear from you, even if I did just see you."

"Who are you on the phone with," a voice called. She recognized it as Tony Stark.

"None of your business Tony."

"Is it a girl?"

"None of your business."

"So it is a girl? Is she hot?"

"Would you quit it!"

"Here give me the phone…I wanna talk to her. See if she's ugly."

"You can't see if someone's ugly through the phone."

"I can see if her voice is ugly or if its all sultry and sexy."

"Get off me," Bruce growled out trying to keep the phone out of Tony's reach.

"I could just tap the call," Tony reasoned, still fighting to get the phone.

"I'm gonna kill you Tony," Bruce growled annoyed.

"Aww settle down big guy we don't need greeny comin' out after he just got everything all organized. I'll leave you to talk to your lady friend," Tony conceded, he voice fading from the phone.

"Sorry about that…"

"It's alright."

"Well I should probably get off the phone before he comes back."

"Alright goodbye," Hel begins, moving the phone from her ear.

"Wait…" he shouts, "I was wondering if you would like to go out."

"I am already outside," she responded confused.

"No like out on a date," Bruce laughed.

"Oh…I would like that very much."

"How about Friday, two o'clock outside the aquarium."

"That sounds lovely I am looking forward to this 'date'," Hel felt herself grin.

"An aquarium," a third voice laughed, seemingly through the receiver itself, "What is it a school trip?"

"Tony get off the phone," Bruce growled.

"I told you I was just going to tap the line."

"I'll let you go so I can go kill my friend."

"I look forward to seeing you Friday," Hel replied.

"Me too," Bruce replied, "Bye."

"Goodbye," Hel answered moving the phone from her and hitting the end buttons as she heard shouting coming from the receiver between the two men. Tony really was his father's son.

* * *

Steve sat in one of the stiff chairs in the lobby of the Shnazyness Wonder Company nervously. He'd come to interrogate Helen about the deaths…see if they were her. He needed to know, if only for his own piece of mind. The woman behind the reception desk continued to glance back and forth between him and her computer and he couldn't help but find it irritating. He heard the elevator ding and glanced quickly to the door to see Helen emerge from the box.

"Hele..di…Heidi hi," Steve stated quickly, trying to cover his slip. She smiled to him and walked to where he was now standing,

"Steve, I was not expecting you here in my place of work."

"I just have some questions for you," Steve began uncomfortable on how to approach the entire subject.

"Alright but I have to do a photo shoot for a line of summer clothes," Hel replied.

"It's fall," Steve responded confused.

"They already know what the styles will be for the next year or something to that effect so I have been instructed that we are already photographing the clothes chosen. I don't know…I just do what they ask of me."

Steve cocked an eyebrow in amusement, "Since when do you just do what people tell you."

She smirked in response but said nothing as she heard the office door of her boss open, "Heidi there you are. I thought you'd never get here. We have a problem."

"I am here now, it is no such problem."

"No, you weren't the problem," he began before he eyed the man beside her; "You look like that guy from the Avengers."

"I'm sorry," Steve muttered out nervously.

"You really look like him," he repeated before glancing over at his receptionist, "Caren doesn't he look like that Avenger guy?"

"Yeah," the girl agreed, "I was thinking that myself actually."

"I think this may work out after all," Richard smiled, thinking to himself.

* * *

Hel leaned against the door of her closed apartment door in exhaustion. Her Æsir form normally had much more stamina than a mortal body but she had noticed that even Steve's improved power was slowly diminishing. After deciding that Steve looked like the patriotic Avenger, they proceeded to persuade him to don a red, white, and blue swim suit and hold a flag themed beach ball while Hel was instructed to essentially hang all over him in various outfits all themed for the upcoming summer. He'd blushed profusely when Hel had come from the changing room in only a swimsuit, her breasts more than exposed. Steve had asked her to cover up and the photographer had felt that the innocence on his face made the shot even better, something to do with the United States' innocence at the sexy Norwegian woman's foreign affairs (bust).

She dropped her house key on the small bowl beside her door and removed her light jacket, one that she now deemed much too light for this time of year, and draped the article over the back of her couch before moving to her bedroom. Steve never did get to discuss his important matter with her; by the time the shoot was over they were both much too tired to talk about much of anything.

Hel paused beside her bedroom door as she felt a tugging sensation deep within herself, like her soul was attempting to leave her body. She laid out flat on her back atop her bed and felt the light-headed feeling from the lobby of Avenger Tower return. She closed her eyes and allowed her beastly essence to follow the sensation until she felt herself come to a halt in her own realm. She clutched her hand to her head and eyed the situation around her.

Directly in front of her stood Volla, Svel, and Howard Stark all eying her questionably. Realizing she was safe, she shredded her bestial form and stood before them curiously.

"I was summoned?"

"You were my queen," Svel muttered nervously, seeing the annoyed look on her face.

"So how's Midgard been doin' since I've been gone?" Howard asked curiously, coming to slap her on the shoulder with a smirk.

"I do hope this is not the reason my soul was pulled from my body," she glared suspiciously to her advisor.

"Ha," Howard laughed amused, "You caught me."

"My queen you were not called here for a social visit, it is much more dire," Svel clarified worriedly.

"Well speak up, I am not here to simply listen to you mumble about." Svel turned to Volla and motioned for her to begin.

"As you know," Volla began slightly nervous, "Ever since my death on Asgard I have been but your servant in Hel; but I nonetheless offer my services to anyone brave enough to venture to this Realm of the Dead."

"I know of your legend," Hel responded annoyed, waving her on.

"Well one has done just this," she muttered cautiously, "Karnilla arrived in Niflheim from Nornheim to bargain with you and I on the matter of her lover."

"This is of no consequence to me," Hel sighed, having assumed that the matter was more urgent that it was, "Karnilla has come many times to attempt to free Baldr but I have not and will not allow him to leave my jurisdiction."

"The problem however lies not in her proposal to you but of her demands of me," Volla clarified.

"Of what are you referencing?" Hel glowered.

"As she traveled to this, the feared realm," Volla began being interrupted by Howard as he muttered a,

"Feared, yeah right."

"..she requested my services of which cannot be denied."

"Of what did you tell her," Hel growled angrily.

"Of the only future in which she was interested; one in which she and Baldr would be together," Volla responded, shakily.

"And what does this future entail?"

"That Karnilla travel to Midgard and force you to release him."

"So Karnilla knows of my travel to Midgard?" Hel growled angrily.

"There was nothing of which I could do," Volla whimpered.

"I should erase you from all existence," Hel snarled, her hands glowing an uncomfortable purplish-black color.

"Calm down Hel," Howard sighed, thumping her on the back, "Just give her back her boyfriend. What the hell does it matter anyway?"

"It is not that I particularly want to keep him here," Hel sighed, rubbing her forehead and grinding her teeth as she recited the Prose Edda in the best English translation she could come up with,

"After Baldr was killed, Hermóðr rode to Hel. Hel, the ruler of the realm of the same name, agreed that Baldr should go back to the living if all things in the world wept for him. Thereupon the Æsir sent messengers throughout the whole world to ask for Baldr to be wept out of Hel; and everything did that - men and beasts, and the earth, and the stones and trees and all metals - just as one sees these things weeping when they come out of frost and into the warmth. Then, when the messengers went home, having well-wrought their errand, they found, in a certain cave, where a giantess sat: she called herself Þökk (Thökk). They prayed her to weep Baldr out of Hel; she answered:

'Þökk (Thökk) will weep waterless tears for Baldr's bale-fare; living or dead, I loved not the churl's son; let Hel hold to that she hath.'"

"I don't understand," Howard asked in disbelief, "You're keeping him here solely because you don't want to be thought of as a pushover?"

"It may be that Þökk was in fact my father in disguise," Hel sighed, "and so not only would it make me look like…a 'pushed over'… I would also anger my father and I wish neither of these things on myself."

She heard Volla cough uncomfortably and turned her eye on her and Svel, watching them fidget and scuff their feet.

"I must speak with my advisor in private," she announced, "You are dismissed." The two quickly fled the room in fear.

"You sure can be scary," Howard smirked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he moved back from the cauldron that Volla had used to summon her. It was an exact replica of Eldhrímnir, a cauldron which served the meals on Asgard; however she used hers for magic, "I'm lucky you like me."

"Yes you are," Hel smirked back, turning and heading down one of the many long column lined hallways for the castle she resided in, "You are my advisor Mr. Stark, what would you advise?"

He laughed a bit at that, "I don't know; we both know I'm not really your advisor. You just call me that as an excuse to keep me and Maria in better living conditions and closer to you."

"That is not true Howard," Hel denied adamantly, "I very much care for your insight. Oh, I wanted to let you know that I _officially_ met Anthony for the first time this last week."

"Really, that's nice, was he happy to see you as something other than an astral projection?" Howard asked curiously, worried for the welfare of his only son.

"He was not aware that we were the same which was for the best but he seems to be doing well in all aspects of his life," she shared, "He has acquired a lover…a real lover and he is now a hero in all aspects of the word even donning a suit of metal armor to combat opposing forces."

"Tony became a superhero?" Howard asked in disbelief.

"Yes, he even fought against my father with Captain Rogers," Hel added, smiling as Howard's eyes lit up.

"Tony and Steve were fighting together…Steve's alive."

Hel nodded with a smile, "I just thought you might be interested in this information."

"Yeah, that's great. I'm really glad he's okay," Howard grinned.

"I as well," Hel replied, "And not to appear unhappy by this meeting but I must be getting back to my unattended body."

"Of course," Howard smiled, "Make sure you come and visit again soon okay?"

"Of course my friend," Hel smiled slowly fading from view.

Howard turned from the place his friend once stood to notice Volla's fingers curled around one of the many pillars along the corridor.

"Volla," he announced trying to sound as understanding as possible, "Come out here."

"Sir," Volla bowed in respect.

"Why were you spying?"

"I was not…I would never spy on the queen or her royal adviser," Volla assured, "I just wished to speak with you."

"About what?"

"I have seen the future," Volla informed him.

"Isn't that what you do?" Howard questioned confused as to why she was talking about this to him, he thought she just wanted him to stand there for the summoning so that Hel wouldn't suffocate Volla or Svel when she was dragged across realms with no warning.

"It is, but it is rare that I get such differing alternatives," Volla clarified.

"Well," Howard prodded.

"It appears there is a man on Midgard that has the potential to capture her heart," Volla sputtered, "Should she allow him to enter her heart and her to his there will be peace amongst the peoples of the realms."

Howard mulled over what she said with a smile, "So that's good."

"But should something, anything go wrong," Volla prophesied, "She will unknowingly bring forth Ragnarök and everything will be destroyed."

* * *

**So please review and let me know what works...what doesn't, what I need to change and what I need to elaborate on. Oh and if anything doesn't make sense because sometimes the things that I think make sense don't actually make a lick of sense at all.**


	6. The New York Aquarium

Bruce grinned happily, humming to himself as he re-ran the data from the energy anomalies attempting to find anything that would help. He'd heard around, Tony, that Fury was bringing in an excellent researcher who had been previously working with Erik Selvig named Jane. He hadn't heard much on her but if Fury was satisfied then who was he to argue.

The result of the test he was running gave him a result of 'non-conclusive' but it didn't sour his mood; nothing could sour his mood today. In a few short hours he would be walking Heidi through the New York Aquarium. He continued to hum even as the tests failed repeatedly.

"That sound doesn't sound good," a voice stated curiously from the open doorway. Bruce turned and smiled,

"Come on in Steve; I'm just running some tests on the energy bursts."

"It says it failed," Steve observed, pointing to the notification on the computer in deliberation.

"Yeah," Bruce responded, not really paying attention, "Isn't it great."

"_I_ wouldn't think so…is it great?"

"What?" Bruce sputtered out confused, not realizing he had said anything, "What's great?"

"That's what I was asking," Steve responded, moving to stand between the man and his computer, "What's up with you? You seem happy; not that that's bad or anything."

"Actually," Bruce smiled, "I am happy."

"Can I ask why?"

"Well," Bruce began leaning down to the blonde man, "I have a date."

"Really!" Steve exclaimed surprised. He'd never really seen the man associate with women…or anyone for that matter. He was a bit of a recluse, "Sorry the way I said that wasn't nice. I was just…surprised."

"No that's okay. Most people wouldn't think of me as the type to go on a date and 9.9 times out of 10 they'd be right. After Betty I'd kind of sworn of women but this one's different."

"Where'd you meet her?" Steve asked curiously.

"Actually I met her at the Avengers Celebration Party," Bruce replied, turning to run a slightly altered simulation on the data.

"Do I know her?" Steve asked curiously.

"I doubt it," Bruce replied, "I mean how many girls do you even know here?"

"True," Steve resigned; deciding not to mention the woman from the 40's who'd resurfaced; someone who could kill people with a touch.

* * *

Hel smiled despite her surroundings as she rode the West 8th Street Subway toward the New York Aquarium. She'd always been slightly interested in the Midgardian sea life if only due to her brother. She felt the subway sway as it came to a stop at the station and couldn't help but stumble a bit in her six-inch heels. She was finding them to be less ridiculous each day she spent here and that was making her slightly nervous.

She knew that she had come here to capture this waste of a realm for her father who had in fact fought the man she would be meeting here today. She was not sure what had happened between Bruce and her father or if the two had even come into physical contact at all; he seemed more the type that sat in a lab for a majority of the day although the rage behind his eyes seemed to have quite a bit of potential if he could harness it.

Nonetheless she wouldn't let her feelings cloud her decision, despite Howard's recommendation to "Leave Earth Alone." She pulled her coat tighter around her as she eyed some of the less desirable characters in the station.

It was only a short walk from the station entrance to the front canopy of the NYA. She spotted a 4-D movie to her right as she came down the pathway but she wasn't sure what 4-D meant nor did she understand who SpongeBob was or why he was wearing pants. She ignored the odd drawing and smiled as she reached the entry canopy. She'd decided to go a bit more Midgardian today with a long flowing purple top covered by her gray wool jacket and a pair of skinny jeans tucked into her tall stiletto boots. She'd hoped that he would appreciate the effort since she found Midgardian fashion a bit uncomfortable.

From where she was standing she could see past the boardwalk and out over the ocean to watch the water's white foam crash against the blue. She sighed remembering those men in the subway station. Her father could solve that problem, whether he simply killed them or if he showed them mercy he would undoubtedly solve the problem.

'The democracy that these humans find so appealing is immensely flawed,' she thought to herself, smiling at their lack of understanding. Suddenly the thought of what her father would do to Bruce crossed her mind and the smile that had previously been spread across her face dropped instantly. Would he let Bruce live? She doubted it; the man still had something to do with Loki's failure at overpowering the mortals and her father…like herself… was known for holding a grudge. No matter what happened though she would not allow her father to kill Bruce. Or Steve…or Tony. If it was indeed true that they had fought her father and had beaten him then they would undoubtedly try again at another attack and if killed in the attempt they would go to Valhalla and she would never see them again. Howard would never forgive her if Tony were not reunited with his mother, Maria.

She'd let her mind wander a bit more than she'd like and panicked when she'd felt a hand touch her shoulder affectionately. She whipped around quickly; knowing for sure that whoever had touched her would now be dead but turned to spot Bruce standing behind her smiling. She glanced at him nervously, waiting for his skin to blacken, but as the seconds ticked by she realized that he was fine.

"Sorry," Bruce apologized, "I didn't mean to scare you but you didn't answer when I called your name."

"Oh, my apologies," Heidi replied still in disbelief that he was alive; "I was engaged in the beauty of the water."

"Yeah, the ocean is really beautiful," Bruce agreed before turning to the entrance doors, "You wanna go in?"

"Sure," she smiled, spinning on her heels and falling in step beside him as they walked through the main entrance. The lobby was incredibly huge considering it was not part of the actual museum. She noticed as Bruce moved to the front of the line and after flashing the man some sort of badge was immediately given tickets. He carried them back to her and smiled shyly.

"I may not be able to get into the fancy bars and clubs but here at the museums I'm like a rock star," he joked sheepishly. She couldn't help but laugh at his humor.

"I find this much more intriguing than the ability to get into a building for inebriation and gyrations." He laughed back before grabbing her wrist and helping her put her band on to allow her into the exhibits. After hers was secured she quickly did the same for him before he would have the chance to object. Once they were officially in the NYA they made their way down the right wing and into the Glover's Reef exhibit. She couldn't help but feel a bounce in her step as she went around Glover's Reef and stared into the glass case of the stingray.

She noticed the way it glided through the water and watched it in awe as its underbelly moved past the front of her face.

"You know," Bruce mentioned, pointing to the passing creature, "Stingrays can get bigger than us, than people."

"Can they really?" Heidi felt herself ask curiously.

"They can get to 6 and a half feet tall and over 750 pounds."

"You know much about these creatures," she replied surprised.

"I actually just read the plaque on the glass," he admitted with a sheepish grin. She grinned back and bumped his shoulder with her own, laughing as she walked down to the next tank forcing him to run to catch up.

They proceeded to meander down a long narrow corridor that ended abruptly with a locked door that required passcode entry. She looked up to Bruce who scrunched his eyebrows together confused, "We must have made a wrong turn somewhere." He glanced at the sign to read, "_Osborn Laboratories of Marine Science_. When did Osborn get a lab at the aquarium?"

"I know not know of this Osborn," she replied confused.

"Oh it's not really that important," he replied flatly, "But I think it would probably be best if I wasn't in this hallway." He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her away from that mysterious door, leading her from the Glover's Reef exhibit, outdoors, and down the steps where they could hear people clapping and shouting in excitement from the Sea Lion Demonstration area.

"Do you wanna see what they're doing?" he asked curiously.

"Sure," she smiled; allowing him to lead the way as they found seats to watch the Sea Lions their hands still tightly wound around each others as they went.

* * *

They'd seen four of the six exhibits and she was beginning to regret wearing the high heels to this event. She typically wore no shoes in Hel, her large fur boots on Midgard, and when she was modeling it didn't really matter because she wasn't expected to do much moving or walking with them on. This was proving to be a bit more challenging then she had originally thought. She should have known better than to ask the other models what they wore on excursions with men. She had also been told to wear underclothes that had little material and what material it did process should be lace. She had done as requested but did not understand the point when no one would see them.

"Hey um Heidi," Bruce mentioned casually, "I gotta run to the bathroom. I'll be right back okay." She nodded with a smile and he ran off in the direction she could only assume held the restrooms. She sighed and spotted a bench only a couple of feet away. Seeing an opportunity she walked quickly and claimed the bench for herself and her aching feet; the shoes had definitely been a bad idea. No longer needing to concern herself with the pain her feet had been in, Hel took the opportunity to observe the area. It wasn't incredibly busy since it was a Friday at 2 in the afternoon in October.

She spotted a couple of groups filled mostly of children and assumed that they ventured here from an educational facility. She counted 8 groups, none of which seemed to be associated with one another. Then she spotted _him_, wandering in the back of a group and pushing a teenage boy who seemed to be dawdling.

"Get goin'" the man growled shoving him in the back to keep his feet moving forward. The boy seemed to be fascinated with running his fingers in the interactive touch pools as he walked by.

"Awe come on Mr. Logan I wanna see what Jellyfish look like frozen," the boy muttered miserably, "It's an experiment. Dr. McCoy encourages us to do experiments."

"I don't think that's what he meant Bobby," a boy with red sunglasses imputed as he made his way past the two.

"No one asked you Scott," Bobby replied annoyed.

"Enough," Logan replied, annoyed himself, his hand to his head.

"James," Hel felt herself yell in excitement. There wasn't much distance between them considering that she could hear the conversation that had just gone on but she doubted her would hear her if she didn't shout, "James."

He didn't seem to respond and she scowled before recalling that the boy had called him Logan, he must have been going under an assumed name just as she was. He had probably been going by his for so long that no one here would call him by the old one. She tried again, "Logan."

This time the man turned, as did all the students he seemed to be directing. She had never really thought him to be the type to care for children. She stood quickly, her foot pain all but forgotten as the quickly ran to the group and stopped in front of the man now referred to as Logan, "It is so great to see you again."

"What?" he asked confused.

"She's a famous model," Jean whispered to Scott.

"How do you know a model?" Scott asked Logan quietly.

"We had not seen each other in many years and Steve had thought the worst. Steve is alive as well, in case you weren't aware. He would so like to see you again. We were not aware you would still be living but it is most wonderful; and your brother…is he well?"

"You must have me confused with someone else," Logan replied gruffly. She did not remember him ever talking to her this way, "It is I, Helen from World War Two. We were shot together…many times. Do you not remember this?"

"What?" he asked now very confused, "Are you a mutant…a mutant like me?"

"What?" now it was her turn to be confused, "Are you okay James?"

"Who's James?"

"Do you not remember the War?" she asked bewildered, "The adventures of what Hydra had dubbed Captain America, Captain Canada, and the Grimm Reaper. You were Captain Canada and I the Grimm Reaper."

"You were called Captain Canada?" Bobby snickered, "Lame."

"I think you've got the wrong person," this Logan man growled out annoyed, "I never did any of those things and I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone."

"Well…" Hel paused, suddenly at a loss for words, "My apologies. I will leave you in peace then. Sorry."

"Are you sure you didn't know her?" the man in the wheelchair, who had previously hung to the back of the group asked curiously as the girl meandered back to her bench.

"I don't…I don't remember any of that," he mentioned, suddenly holding his head as though he'd just gotten a migraine.

"Perhaps you should get in touch with her," the Professor asked as he watched her gather her belongings from the bench downhearted before seeing a man in a green shirt and glasses run to catch up to her.

"Too late now," Logan sighed, "She's with her boyfriend. It was probably nothing professor."

"It was you Logan who had approached me on your desire to reconnect with your memories," the man responded, "She may be the best place to start."

"Yeah, maybe; I'll talk to her if I ever see her again," Logan huffed moving to the front of the group to direct the students to the next exhibit before whispering, "Like that'll happen."

The professor looked between the girl and Logan and couldn't help but sigh as they both continued farther in opposite directions.

* * *

"Sorry it took so long. There was a long line" Bruce smiled, gingerly taking her hand, "And don't worry, I washed my hands." Heidi laughed, holding his hand tightly as they made their out to the boardwalk and leaned against the railing.

"The water _is_ really beautiful, despite how cold it must be," Heidi observed blankly, eying it as it lapped against the metal barrier of the boardwalk.

"Yeah; now's probably not the best time to go swimming," Bruce agreed earning a chuckle from her as she turned to look at him curiously. How was he able to make her laugh and smile and be merry? She was so used to just being sad that it wasn't that difficult to stay miserable all day but she was beginning to notice that no matter what she did, just the mention of his name or the idea of him in her mind made her happy and joyful. How could one person, one Midgardian male make her feel this way?

Suddenly she felt his breath on her face, his lips on hers, and her body froze.

* * *

"_What are they doing?" Helen whispered quietly as they sat in the theater watching the propaganda footage before the movie. It seemed to be a boy saying goodbye to his girlfriend and as he headed out the door he turned to her and his mouth connected with hers._

"_What do you mean 'what are they doing' they're kissing," Howard whispered from her left side in disbelief._

"_It's about loving another person," Steve added from her right, "But by doing it physically."_

"_You can't tell me that they don't have physical affection in wherever it is you come from," Howard stated._

"_Maybe in other realms but I was placed in my home at a very young age there was no one there for me to show physical interest in. I loved my father but I would not show that love in such a way."_

"_I'm glad," Howard gapped in astonishment._

"_But this is confusing," she continued, the movie now starting but going unwatched by the three of them as they turned in their chairs to help her with the difficult conversation of kissing, "If they care for one another as you say, why would they want to exchange their germs and endanger the life of the other?"_

"_What?" Howard responded in disbelief, "That's not…what?"_

"_I'm not sure how to talk about this?" Steve admitted, confused._

"_So you too cannot find reason?" Helen asked curiously._

"_Well no…not the way you talked about it."_

* * *

Feeling Bruce's lips on her made her stomach feel odd and fluttery and instantly she worried that she had contracted whatever Midgardian illness he may have but immediately she realized that she didn't care in the least.

She was thankful when his arms snaked around her waist because she was finding it a bit hard to stand and she quickly felt herself melt and mimicked his lip movements. She began to realize that although she did not require breathing, she knew that he would and felt him pull away to do such.

The look on his face showed surprise and she couldn't help but grin coyly at him.

"Wow," he gasped out when he suddenly froze, his heart rate rising. Time seemed to freeze for Bruce as his heart thumped against his ribs and he could feel the Hulk in the background…strangely calm and pleasant; that, scaring him more than anything else. The Hulk seemed so calm that Bruce would have the urge to say that he was asleep but he wasn't going to take the time to try and figure it out. He quickly pulled Heidi back to him and moved his mouth against hers, a gasp and involuntary moan escaping her lips as he did so. It only made him smile against her mouth as he continued to kiss her against the boardwalk railing.

Suddenly a loud ringing and vibration stirred in his pocket and he froze, his mouth still attached to hers. It continued to ring and he sighed, knowing that only SHIELD and the Avengers had his number…well and Heidi but she was clearly not calling. He sighed and released her reluctantly before turning to the device in his hand, "Hello."

"Tony you know I'm…"

"What…"

"Okay…I'll be there."

"Just…I'll be there; okay."

Hel watched as he flipped the phone closed, the anger in his eyes back, only stronger.

"I…I'm needed; the Avengers are attacking some lady and they need me to help with…something. Look I'm really really sorry. I don't really want to leave this like this."

"I understand that you are urgently needed, you must go to your friend."

"I don't know if I'd call Tony a friend," he rambled, delaying the inevitable.

"Go," she told him gently, a smile crossing her face, "I hope to receive your call sometime soon to meet up again. I very much enjoyed your company."

"I'll definitely call you, you can count on it," he smiled, giving her one last quick kiss that oddly left her desiring more before he turned and jogged past the entrance and back toward the parking lot. She wasn't sure if he had driven or if he had taken the subway but the answer was inconsequential. She was trapped in the exchange of germs.

Her body felt funny, and she stripped off her wool jacket to cool the warmth that was coming deep within her and spreading throughout her body. Whatever germ he transmitted to her was welcomed. She no longer felt as though physical affection was all that negative. Perhaps Howard Stark hadn't been so off when he'd advocated for the affection.

She sighed contentedly and turned to look out over the water. The warmth was slowly dissipating but it wasn't diluting fast enough to make sense of the sudden chill that surged down her spine as she spotted something move through the water out in the distance. Despite how quickly it seemed to be moving she instantly knew who it was. Jörmungandr. He seemed to be slithering across the water, his body making tiny lumps as he propelled himself. She backed up from the railing in disbelief. He was much too close to shore and even closer to the surface. Despite wanting to know what caused such distress in her brother she knew she should return home.

* * *

Bruce got into the parking lot quickly to find the Quinjet waiting for him; Clint's outstretched hand ready to pull him in. He grabbed the hand and stumbled into the jet moving toward the front with Clint following close behind him, "So why were you at the New York Aquarium?"

"He had a hot date," Tony shouted from the passenger seat; Natasha glancing at him in disbelief while she lifted the jet back up, turning in the correct direction before heading to the disturbance.

"So what's going on?" Bruce muttered, more than slightly annoyed.

"This," Tony muttered, activating the TV over the passenger side windshield.

The image showed a woman with dark raven hair walking the streets, her maroon colored costume barely covering nipple and the entire outfit ended with some sort of furry underwear covered by a clear sheen of fabric that ran down her legs with high slits. She seemed to be having some strange antlers protruding from her cheeks and she was screaming into the sky. Tony let the image of her sink in before turning on the audio, "I demand to speak with Hel immediately for the return of Baldr. Every second he is not in my presence, a village on your realm will be destroyed."

"Yeah, so that's what's 'going on'," Tony remarked sarcastically, "And how much you wanna bet she's somehow associated with Reindeer games…I mean look at her head thing…just look at it."

* * *

**So Osborn Labs is really at the New York aquarium but the entire aquarium is closed right now due to weather it may not be all there now...**

**I'm not sure if this chapter made sense or was any good or anything...I've been working on it for awhile but ended up finishing it on 3 days with no sleep so it looked only half good but I was to lazy to not just get it up and be done with it so I could finally justify going to bed...finally. ;)**


End file.
